Loki's Immortals Healer
by marvelchick1992
Summary: A healer is summoned to Asgard in order to help a fallen warrior. There she meets Loki and falls in love with him, but she has a dark past, something dealing with how she acquired her abilities. This is the start of Loki's healing. Warnings: Torture, some gore. Will show up in later chapters
1. Preface

A wounded Asgardian warrior lay on an infirmary bed while the king's healers did their best to treat his wounds before infection spread. While most of the injuries had completely healed, there was one that had refused improvement. The gash had resisted both practical medicine and mythical spells; He was slowly bleeding out.

This damage was caused when Erik, the warrior on the bed, was impaled by an enemy's sword in the midst of battle. It was deep and had rendered him useless in battle. After an hour of watching the battle play out, unable to defend himself or help defeat the enemy. He had lost consciousness and was carried away by medics. He had not woken since then; it had been nearly two days.

As the healers tended to Erik, Allfather Odin surveyed the troubling scene

"Something is wrong. This man should be fully recovered by now," Odin muttered to Ingrid, the head physician of the infirmary who stood beside him. She wrung her hands but remained silent for the moment.

Considering her vast knowledge of various ailments, a couple of thoughts occurred to her. "Perhaps the make of the blade is causing complications. And there is a possibility that the blade was poisoned…" she informed Odin. The tired man stroked his beard, nodding in reply. Not knowing what more they could try to bring the Asgardian back to full health or what answer to give her king, she ran a hand through her frazzled hair, trying to think of other options.

As they were discussing other procedures and spells to help the fallen warrior, a new presence grabbed Odin's attention. Heimdall, the sentry had approached with intent to offer his wisdom, suggesting another solution to the issue at hand.

"My King, perhaps it would be wise to extend our search to outside of Asgard. Other beings may have knowledge of what ails him…"Odin gazed to Erik before giving Heimdall his full attention.

"…Very well. What other options do you suggest then? What have you seen that could possibly help us?" Odin asked. "We have the best physicians in the nine realms, so even I doubt your clarity on this matter." Odin commented, arching an eyebrow.

"There is a woman on Midgard, gifted in the healing arts. I haven been watching her closely, and though she is young, her gifts have granted her ease in dealing with ailments our ladies may scarcely treat. She is a human, yes, but she shines above her kind in both skill and heart," Heimdall explained. A shadow of disdain appeared on Odin's face at the mention of her mortality.

" A human, you say? You forget yourself in making such a proposal. Asgard is no place for her kind," Odin responded angrily, but alas Heimdall did not back down.

"There may be no other options in this case. And one mortal will scarcely make a difference in your kingdom, sire," he calmly retorted. Odin rubbed his temples before returning his gaze to Erik. "How powerful is she? Do you truly believe she can help?" he question, softening his tone and keeping his gaze on Erik.

"Yes, I believe she can," Heimdall answered. Odin closed his eyes and sighed, struggling to summon courage for his next command.

"Send someone for her. I'd like to see her power for myself," Odin ordered, sending Heimdall away. The sentry bowed before he left the infirmary in a hurry. He hadn't realized how much the young woman would defy expectations once she arrived on Asgard. The effect she would have on her new friends, partners, and superiors would surprise them all.

Most of all, there was a difference she would make in the life of a man who had always been an outcast, a man who kept everyone at arm's length but only to pull her in close. This man, a prince, who only knew jealousy and resentment towards those who loved him, would allow her to teach him how to fall in love.

This would be the beginning of Loki's healing.


	2. Healing Services and Mischief

"Wait a minute. You're telling me you've never slept with any of your clients. Never?" My friend Hannah said as we both took our daily walk around the park near our apartment. I quirked an eyebrow at her comment and shook my head. My clients were special to me and I helped them out by healing wounds that received during various battles or even simple ones that they couldn't heal themselves. Though I met some decent men in my job, I never felt a deep connection with any of them.

I should mention that I was a healer to supernatural beings whether they were angels, demi-gods or the like. It was a natural ability I had acquired when I had turned sixteen and though my abilities were limited to supernatural beings, it was unbelievably strong and kept growing every day. I often feared there would be something dark attached to it but for the moment I used it to help those who needed it. It's how I met my best friend Hannah actually, who had an angel status, living among humans. She had been in a terrible battle between her kind and warlocks who wanted nothing but to wreak havoc among the Earth. I was called upon to heal her when a spear had been lodged into her leg, taking her out of the battle completely. Turns out, she had been assigned as my guardian angel and decided she should stick around in case something disastrous would happen to me.

Inevitably it did when I was captured by demons in order to heal those who would bring destruction to all those who inhabited the Earth and the Universe. Those who wanted everything to belong to them, to rule without order. I refused, of course, and the punishments I received left marks upon my skin and soul. A few days after my capture, Hannah and a group of her friends, rescued me before the demons could kill me on my refusal to do as they asked. Ironically, I couldn't heal my own wounds, forcing her to take care of them herself and ever since then our friendship blossomed.

"No, why should I? I simply heal people, not sleep with them. If I did, that would certainly send the wrong message. Besides, I haven't met one that I've connected with," I simply remarked, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Well, when's the last time you've had sex? Or any intimacy?" Hannah asked me. My face flushed as I became uncomfortable with the questions she was asking me. I shrugged my shoulders and thought about the last time any one had bothered to ask me out to even do those things. My mind could only go to a friend of mine that I had asked to be friends with benefits with and that ordeal had been just shy of a year ago.

"I don't know, a year maybe. What?" watching Hannah raise an eyebrow. "Don't give me that look. I don't get out much," I explained, knowing exactly what the expression meant. She let out frustrated sigh and ran her hands through her hair.

"Let me at least set you up with someone. Come on, Clara. We all need to have a little fun now and then," she suggested, sporting her puppy dog eyes. I shook my head, knowing exactly whom she meant. All she wanted to do was set me up with the other angels she hung around with and frankly every time I was invited to one of their parties, they gave the creeps. They were rude and so full of themselves that I knew that they'd never give me what I wanted from a partner. I longed for someone who would treat me right and who would love me for who I was.

"No, absolutely not. Your angel friends freak me out a little. And, anyway I'm waiting for that special someone to sweep me off my feet," I retorted. Hannah scrunched up her features and shrugged.

"Who knows when that'll be? Don't be afraid to be wild every once in a while. Not all the time. Just one every few months or so," Hannah complained, as I shook my head. Of course, she would object to the idea of true love. She feared that if she ever found someone worth living out eternity with, they would die and leave her alone. Or if she found herself falling in love with a human, she would grieve too much having outlived them. I didn't judge her for wanting to spend just a few months with someone just to move on to another person, so why was she judging me for wanting to find my soul mate.

"Okay, we're changing the subject now. I'm starting to feel a bit judged at the moment," I remarked, hoping she would drop the discussion of my love life. I had a history of falling for the wrong kind of people and I didn't want her setting me up with someone who would repeat the mistakes of the past. I picked up my pace, hoping that if we finished our daily walk, I'd get out of this discussion much faster.

"Fine, but you deserve to have some happiness at some point. So when was your last client? It's been a while right?" She commented surrendering at the thought of setting me up with someone. It had been a few months since the last client, a shape-shifter, had been healed. I didn't know if that was good news or not. It could be that not a lot of beings were getting hurt or that something disastrous was about to occur that would bring a lot of wounded in to heal.

"Yeah, it's probably due to less…Hannah, do you feel that? It's like the ground is humming," I began but all around the ground began to vibrate and I hadn't a clue what that might mean or where it was coming from.

"Uh…Clara? I think your services are needed. Look!" She replied, as she pointed upward to the sky. A giant column of light appeared and shot straight to the ground. When it disappeared, two men in armor were standing on the ground, strange markings left from the light. She immediately took a defensive posture, angling herself in front of me, protecting me from whatever threat they might pose.

"Clara O'Neal?" the greeted us, their eyes moving back and forth between the both of us to figure out who they were looking for. They settled on Hannah, but I stepped forward, waving to them both. One was much taller than his companion and I noticed dark circles under their eyes as they were suffering from sleep deprivation. Their expressions were not that of threatening demeanor but of distress, worry and sorrow. They removed their helmets and set them on the ground, the taller man revealing his short, light brown locks, hazel eyes meeting mine. His companion had lighter hair and his brown eyes focused on Hannah, who still had a defensive position.

"Yes. How can I help you?" I answered, noticing the raised eyebrows on both of their faces, like they couldn't quite believe at who I was. I placed my hand on my friend's arm, giving her cause to relax a little but she still kept her watch on them in case this was a trap and she needed to take action.

"Your services are required in Asgard. We've been sent to retrieve you," they answered, bowing before me. _Asgard?_ I thought to myself, unsure if this was meant as a joke. From what I heard of Asgard, they had the best physicians in the universe. If they couldn't figure out what was wrong with their own people, then that was definitely a problem. _But why come to me? _I thought.

"Retrieve me? Who is it that's retrieving me? Under whose authority?" I asked, curiosity lingering in my voice.

"The King of Asgard, of course. Allfather Odin seems to believe your abilities are our only option to help one of our own. Please accompany us milady," the taller of the two men responded, extending a hand out to me. I hesitated, still not getting an answer to one of my questions. He must've sensed my unease because he stepped closer and knelt down before me, his companion doing the same. "My name is Noah and this is Josef. We mean you no harm. We only ask that you help us. He's my brother. Please…come with us," he told me, tears forming in his eyes, before they stood back up. I nodded and offered my hand. He took it and we walked towards the strange markings left on the ground.

"You better grab hold of me." Noah informed me, allowing me to wrap my arms around his waist. "Heimdall, bring us back," he called out. Another column of light surrounded us. As we flew upwards, I noticed we were travelling in space and in a few short moments, arrived into a golden dome of some sort. A man stood there upon our arrival, his golden eyes surveying me, his tall stature towering over all three of us.

"Welcome to Asgard Miss O'Neal. I am Heimdall, the sentry of Asgard. Allow me to…" he began until a nauseous feeling came over me. Evidently, the way to Asgard wasn't something I was used to and it wasn't until my feet touched the ground that the effects on me overwhelmed my senses.

"Just one second," I interrupted him as I turned and hurled, the force knocking me to my knees, sweat drenching my forehead. Once I was done retching, I pushed myself to my feet and closed my eyes, trying to relax my muscles and ease my senses back to normal.

"Are you all right?" Heimdall inquired, concern scrawled over his face when I turned back to him. I managed a smile and nodded.

"I'm fine. I don't think I'm used to the way we arrived here. It kind of made me feel weird and I don't think it settled on my stomach right. Now, where is the client I'm supposed to be helping," I answered, wiping sweat from my forehead.

"This way milady." He gestured to the exit of the dome, walking off the platform where he stood. "The man you're healing is named Erik. He was impaled with a sword during battle and rendered unconscious. He's been like this for a few days now, which is not normal for our kind. The wound itself doesn't seem to stop bleeding and our ladies can't seem to locate what ails him. Maybe you can," he informed me as we walked down a rainbow bridge, the two guards following behind Heimdall and me. The view was incredible. A sea that stretched out for miles and buildings that would bring cause architects on Earth to drool at the sight of them.

Ten minutes later, we arrived at what I assumed was the infirmary and entered, greeting a room full of people surrounding a man lying on a bed. A man dressed in green and gold attire caught my attention and for a brief moment he made eye contact with me before breaking it and focusing on an older man with a beard. I felt the sentry lean down to my ear. "That's Loki, Miss Clara. Be wary of him. He is the God of Mischief after all. The one standing beside him is his elder brother Thor. Allfather Odin and Queen Frigga are the ones standing closer to the bed," he whispered before alerting them all to my presence.

"Sire, this is Clara O"Neal. She's the woman I was telling you about a few days ago," he introduced me before exiting the room. Walking over to bed where the fallen warrior lay, I bent myself into a curtsy.

"Your majesty," I greeted both Odin and Frigga. "Forgive me, I do not know your customs but I do wish to help," I told them, noticing the scowl upon the Allfather's face.

"My sentry, Heimdall believes your abilities far outrank the skills of my own physicians here. You are quite young. Younger than I previously thought. Prove to me you can heal this man. I'd like to see just how powerful you really are. Despite your age and your mortality," he commanded, the last sentence filled with an annoyed tone. I simply nodded and turned my attention on Erik. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I used my hands, my power, to scan the warrior's body to see and feel what was ailing him. I even pressed on the wound to see if there was anything in the blood that was stopping it from clotting. A tiny shard of glass grasped my attention; I knew what had to be done.

"God of…mischief," I mumbled to myself, stealing a glance at Loki, who was picking at his left hand either from nervousness or boredom, I didn't know which. Pushing myself from the bed, I walked towards him and, taking his hand in mine pulled him towards the warrior. We hadn't made in three feet before he yanked his hands from mine, halting me in my tracks.

"Milady…I can't. Perhaps my brother would be a better option if you want assistance. I doubt my skills are worth using in this manner," he told me, sadness flickering over his features before vanishing in an instant. I shook my head and took his hands in mine once more.

"I chose you specifically for this purpose. You're good at accessing memories correct? It is precisely that reason why I chose you instead of your brother," I explained. His brows furrowed in confusion and he averted his eyes away from mine. He refocused his gaze on Erik, confusion gone, replaced with hurt at what I was asking of him. He didn't know that I wasn't using him for malicious intentions, but instead for accessing a memory for distraction.

"Clara, maybe using Loki to manipulate-," Frigga began but I held up a finger, silencing her.

"Ah, but I'm not asking him to manipulate memories. I'm asking him to access a pleasant one and to hold Erik down if need be," I interrupted, pleased as a look of surprise flashed across her face as she glanced at her son. Realization dawned on her then, a smile slowly spreading across her face at the thought. Loki whipped his head back to look at me, his expression full of disbelief.

"Hold…Hold him down? What for?" Odin questioned, anger and confusion contorting his features. I chuckled. In a few minutes I had managed to confuse the Asgardians with the options that I had figured out the moment I saw the shard of glass.

"What I'm about to do is going to be extremely painful to your warrior Erik. I have to reach down inside the wound to extract the root of the problem, which by the way is the shards of the glass circulating in his system." I informed him, showing him the one piece that I had pulled out of the wound by just pressing down on it. "The memory should distract him enough to do my job but if it doesn't, I'm going to need Loki to keep him from thrashing around or there will be even more damage," I explained, raising the eyebrows of the queen and the physicians in the room.

"It would be _unwise _to involve Loki in this manner. Perhaps…" the Allfather began, that same scowl from before returning to his face, his eyes narrowing at me. The anger I had struggled to contain flared up inside of me and I let go of the prince and crossed my arms.

"Perhaps if you would wipe that scowl from your face and let me do my work. You're the one who wanted my help correct? You wanted to see how powerful I am right? If I don't do this now, that man will surely die. Your physicians couldn't help him. I can. Why don't you go do your _kingly_ duties and let me help him," I snapped, registering the shocked looks all around the room. I instantly regretted my tone and let out sigh.

"I'm sorry. Do forgive me. I meant no disrespect," I stated, softening my voice. I watched as Odin attempted to change his expression as he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Very well. The prince…" he started to say but I shook my head, cutting him off. I wasn't lying about needing Loki for the first part of the healing process and I didn't care if Odin was the king; I would not let him remove him from my side.

"Loki stays. He's essential to this part. Don't worry. I'll see to it that no mischief takes place. Even if I have to punish him myself," I informed him, eliciting a grunt of disapproval from the gruff man and a smile grace the face of the queen. They turned and exited the infirmary as well as the others, the physicians returning to their own tasks and Thor following his parents out of the room. Loki and I were left to our own devices and I returned my gaze to Erik.

I pulled Loki to my side and straddled the warrior. Gesturing to Loki to sit behind me, I placed one of his hands to Erik's temple and the other to his shoulder. "I'm sorry," I whispered, before nodding to Loki to access Erik's memories and pull out one that would distract him from the pain. I thrust my hand into the wound and began to feel around for the remaining glass shards. As I did so, Erik began slightly shifting around but nothing too serious for the moment. Pulling my hand out to examine what I gathered, I only discovered that there was nothing but blood on my hands.

Groaning in annoyance, I thrust my hand back in and as I suspected, the pain became so unbearable that Erik started to writhe around and screamed out in pain, causing Loki to press down on his shoulders, removing his hand from his temple to restrain him even more. I felt his breath against my neck, my breath hitching in my throat, and closed my eyes to concentrate on the task at hand. Accessing my telekinetic abilities, I flexed my hand and pulled the shards to my hand, slowly pulling out of the wound as they formed to create a glass ball.

"How are you doing that? How can there be so many pieces?" Loki asked me, his voice rumbling in my ear, removing his hands as Erik ceased his erratic movements and started breathing heavily from the pain.

"Years of practice. As for the amount of shards, the sword must have had some sort of exploding mechanism that released these into his body. The more he moved, the more they did, causing extensive damage. That's why he kept bleeding. They lodged into various parts of his body and cut into him," I replied, the last shard completing the shape. I handed him the orb, our hands brushing slightly, eliciting a gasp from me as what felt like an electric current ran up my arm. He must have felt it as well because his fingers lingered over mine for a moment before he withdrew from my touch, placing the orb on the nearby table.

"You know, I've never met anyone who has spoken to my father like you did before. It was a nice change to things around here," Loki whispered in my ear, his lips barely grazing my skin, causing me to shiver. I heard him chuckle and slowly pull me closer.

"I…uh…don't like being looked down upon. I've had…it happen in the past," I whispered, not trusting my voice if I spoke normally. A tingly sensation coursed its way through my body as he continued to hold me close.

"You're human. He deems mortals unworthy on Asgard. You're different though. This power, this ability of yours piques his interest and I daresay my own," he continued, his hands gently brushing up my arms to my neck, before he placed a gentle kiss on my jaw. He turned my face to his then, our lips barely touching. His eyes met mine and I was aware that we were both breathing heavily, tension filling the space between us. He leaned down and closed the distance, kissing me sweetly, almost hungrily.

I kissed him back before realizing what was happening and pulled back from him, standing up and putting more distance between us, noting the mischievous grin grace his face. "Don't turn that charm of yours on me. I don't know what you want or what game you're playing at but I will not be taken advantage of. I appreciated your help today. As for your comment about my mortality, it's not an excuse to judge me so harshly. You don't know me, or any of us. If any of you bothered to get to know us, maybe you'd be surprised of how worthy some of us would turn out to be in our own way," I retorted, watching as the grin slowly fade away, replaced by…regret, I wasn't sure as it disappeared instantly.

Loki got off the bed, allowing me to return to the warrior's side and heal the still gaping wound. He watched as it closed completely before taking a step towards me, grasping my hand in his. I didn't dare look at him, ashamed that I almost let him play his game with me. I couldn't deny that there was something between us. I felt it as soon as I first saw him, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same. He might have been able to sense it and was now attempting to use that feeling against me in order to…

_What? He's only known you a few minutes. What could he possibly use this feeling for?_ I thought to myself. If he wasn't using me for malicious intent, then why did he bother an attempt to seduce me? Unless…

_No. Don't be absurd. He couldn't possibly want me,_ another thought played out in my head.

"Forgive me. I needed to see what you would do if I…"He apologized, unsure what to say to excuse his actions. I looked up at him and saw a look of…guilt? Regret? Acknowledging the silence as my response, he turned away and headed to the doors of the infirmary. _Was he really apologizing to me? That wasn't a play at my emotions. I can't help but feel wary of him but…there's something about him I can't quite place my finger on,_ I thought to myself. He hesitated before leaving and spoke again.

"One last thing. You chose me to help when you could have asked my mother. She's capable of doing the same things but instead you came directly to me. Why? You knew I'm the God of Mischief. So why choose me?" he commented, angling his head slightly so I could hear him.

"Because I think there's more to you than being the God of Mischief. I don't know; I have a feeling that there's something inside you that no one else sees or something you don't want any one to see," I responded, watching as he tensed up, waiting to see how he'd react. Loki turned and in a few long strides came closer to me, mere inches separating us.

"What makes you sure? You and I haven't known each other very long. Perhaps you've come to your own judgments about my character. Or maybe someone else has convinced you that I'm nothing more than a scoundrel who manipulates everyone around me. How can you be so sure I'm not manipulating you now hmmm? I could kiss you again how about that? Make you long after me and break your heart in a matter of minutes. Answer me!" he growled, his expression filled with anger.

"Go ahead, kiss me then. Would that make you feel better? You're so good at pushing others away that you don't let anyone under that skin of yours. I try not to make judgments until I've gotten to know someone and I refuse to let others make them for me. What could you possibly want out of me that would benefit you in any way at this moment? There's more to you than just this, what you want everyone see. But see, it's what inside your heart that I want to explore," I retorted, jabbing him in the chest with my finger. His eyes flickered down to my finger before returning my gaze, the anger replaced with something resembling passion and hunger. His eyes had darkened and he slowly moved them down to look at my lips, tilting his head as if he meant to do as I asked.

A groan of pain stopped him from closing the distance and we both turned to see Erik, struggling to sit up on the bed. He looked at us with confusion as if he didn't know what was happening around him.

"What happened? How long have I been out? Who are you?" he inquired, trying to piece everything together. At the same time, a physician walked out into the room and gasped when she saw Erik sitting up and conscious.

"Send for my father. He will want to see this," Loki ordered, turning his attention to her before stepping back a few feet, whether it was to put distance between us as a precaution or to prevent any recklessness.

"Can I get some water please?" he asked me, rubbing his neck absent-mindedly. I nodded and tried to find a glass or anything to fill with water. Loki, laughing at my struggle, walked to a cabinet on the other side of the room and pulled out a glass. He handed it to me, gesturing to a sink across from Erik's bed that I could get water from. I filled it and handed the glass to Erik, who drank from it slowly, his gaze flickering from both Loki and me with puzzlement. A few minutes later, Odin burst through the infirmary doors and looked at Erik with amazement that he was awake.

"Erik, how do you feel?" he asked him, half-expecting him to fall over and die that instant.

"I feel fine. Although, I still feel a little pain in my stomach, but it's not overbearing. Sire, who is this woman? She was here when I woke up," Erik replied, rubbing his abdomen.

"Her name is Clara and she's the one who healed you. You were out for five days and we couldn't figure out why, so I sent for her, hoping she would provide some answers to your ailment," the Allfather remarked, gesturing to me, still baffled as to how I healed his warrior. I walked over to the table beside the bed and held up the glass orb for all to see.

"This is what was inside his body. I suspect, which I shared with Loki, that the sword had some sort of exploding mechanism within its make that released tiny shards of glass throughout his system. As they circulated through his system, the movement he made only made matters worse, cutting him open in various places. You wouldn't have noticed them because of their transparency. They would have blended in with the blood, escaping the usual scans. My ability however, allows me to feel for imperfections in the skin or in the blood," I explained.

"He's still in pain though. How do you explain that?" Odin inquired, a shadow of doubt clouding his features.

"Not uncommon. The wound was a great one and he will still be sore for a few days. It's nothing to worry about. I may be able to heal but I can't take soreness away," I commented. "You should also thank Loki. He helped as well though the distraction technique didn't help much but he prevented any further damage from occurring," I continued, my gaze turning to the prince.

"Interesting. Might I offer you something in return? Perhaps you'd like to stay and work alongside our ladies? Your power still makes me a curious man and I'd like to see how much more you are capable of," Odin responded, shocking me with what he was telling me. I simply nodded and he ordered me to follow him out of the infirmary and to a spare room where I'd be staying as I did my work.

"Might I have a word with our new guest father?" Loki asked, receiving a nod from the exhausted man. Once Odin was out of earshot, Loki pushed me inside my room and turned me so that my back was against a wall.

"What is it my prince? Did I get under your skin earlier?" I questioned him, sarcasm dripping from words. I wasn't going to let him intimidate me but I was curious to what he had to say.

"You're walking a dangerous line here. I don't know what your plan is but don't expect me to get close to you. Though…I wouldn't mind having a little taste of you every now and then," he said, his voice low and inviting, his hands drifting up my arms as he pressed his body closer to mine.

"Oh, sweetie. We'll see about that. As for how I taste…well, I can assure you it's not sweet," I whispered in his ear, before I pushed him off of me, stunning him. "If you would please leave. I'd like to take a shower and go to bed," I continued, showing Loki the door. He huffed and exited my room, watching as I closed it behind me, locking it before going into the washroom to take a shower. Letting the hot water run over my skin, I formed a plan to find out how much there was to the mischievous prince. I didn't realize how much of my heart I'd end up giving to him and how much he would in turn give to me.


	3. Nightmares and Secrets

"_More, give her more", a voice orders another. _

_ "But Sir, we've already given her more that we ought to. What if it-" Hesitation from the other person in the room._

"_Enough! The power isn't working. Why aren't you doing as I asked? Move! I'll do it myself," the first voice, a male, snaps. He shoves his minion out of the way, taking a syringe laced with some sort of liquid from the person's hands, also a male._

_ A scream sounds out, a girl's. It burns her. It hurts her. It's excruciating. The pain. Oh god, the pain. The more she screams, the more this male injects the liquid inside her, inside her veins, her blood. Things levitate around them, a warmth floods throughout the room, darkness leaks out, curling towards her captors._

_ "Yes! It's working! Finally! We can teach her to use this…this…what's happening? NO! It's turning…Run!" the male who injected her states, then panics as the darkness turns sharp and deadly, adapting to protect the girl. He tries to run, him and his minion but to no avail. The darkness lashes out, impaling them both, striking them dead upon impact. She keeps screaming, the pain blinding. Screaming until…_

"Clara! Wake up! Clara! Please, wake up. You're dreaming! Wake up!" a new voice shouts, familiar and frightened.

"Clara!" the voice shouts out again until finally she awakes.

`I bolt up, eyes wide, sweat gleaning on my brow to find Loki in my room, concern etched upon his face. Something shatters; a vase that had been on a nearby table had flown into the wall. It's at the sound of the glass shattering into a million pieces that I notice everything floating in the air; everything, except the bed. Concentrating, I flex my hand and bring everything back in place on the floor quietly and turn my attention to the concerned prince in front of me.

"Are you alright?" he asks me, reaching out to touch my arm. I flinch, the nightmare, the memory still fresh in my mind; an action that doesn't go unnoticed. A brief flash of hurt crosses his face as he lowers his hand back down on the comforter.

"I'm fine. It was just a dream," I answer, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.

"A dream? Clara, I heard screaming. I thought that-" he began.

"I'm fine Loki. You thought what? That I was being attacked? Nothing happened. I don't want or need your concern," I snapped, my defenses rising. These nightmares weren't something I talked about freely or easily. They connected to memories of how I received my special healing abilities. Hannah knew of course, given that she rescued me from a darker fate, but too late to stop that darkness to take hold. I spent years hiding it, repressing it so it didn't harm anyone, especially those who I cared about. I didn't talk about it because others that I thought I could trust looked at me differently; they pitied me, almost feared me and I couldn't bear it if _he_ looked at me in the same way. I saw that brief hurt flash across his face once more before vanishing in an instant and I regretted snapping at him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…wait a minute how did you get in here? I thought I locked the door," I stated climbing out of the bed, my bare feet padding over to inspect the locking mechanism. It was still locked, which only increased my curiosity.

"If you think that a locked door can stop me, well sweetheart, you have no idea what I'm truly capable of," he answered, his voice low and closer than I anticipated. I turned, startled to see him standing behind me and also still sitting on the bed. An illusion that dissipated leaving me staring at him, mouth slightly agape.

I cautiously treaded back over to the bed, climbing in under the silken sheets. He met my eyes with a hardness that almost frightened me. I say almost because there was also something in his eyes that convinced me that he was still worried about me.

"Who hurt you?" he asked, this time his hand gently taking my own linking his fingers with mine, his other reaching out to touch my forehead.

"Please, don't. I can't…I don't want you to see. I couldn't bear it if you…" I whispered, water springing to my eyes. Refusing to cry in front of him, I blinked it back, looking down at our entwined hands.

"Alright. Only if you promise to explain to me what happened to you for a dream to scare you so much," he caved in, lowering his hand.

"I will. One day. I promise. Just give me time," I told him. I looked at him and caught him staring at me, his gaze traveling down to my lips before finding my eyes once more. He leaned in closer, so close I could grasp him and kiss him. Deeply, passionately, hungrily and I almost did, that was until a knock sounded at my door interrupting the moment.

"Yes, is there something I can do for you?" I called out, my voice raspy, my gaze still locked on Loki, the dark prince that stirred a desire I had locked up in my soul along time ago, afraid of getting hurt.

"My king has asked for you to help our healers this morning. Some of our men were injured in a training session and require some assistance," a male voice, belonging to Erik, the warrior I healed just seven hours ago.

"I'll be right there. Thank you," I replied. As the footsteps faded, I forced myself to exit the bed and ventured over to the wardrobe across the room, opening it to reveal an array of dresses that I could change into.

"I should go. My mother will be expecting me for some practice this morning, but I can't leave until I'm sure you're okay," Loki stated, causing me to glance at him.

"I'm fine. Honestly. Don't worry," I replied. He strode over to me, his hands resting on my arms, traveling up to cup my face. He pulled me into a kiss, his lips lightly brushing mine, tingles shooting down my spine, hands grasping his shoulders. I pulled back from him and turned back to the wardrobe, fully aware of his body pressing up against mine, his lips by my ear.

"I would like to see you later. Ask a guard to show you where the library is and I'll meet you around mid-afternoon," he hummed before slinking away. I heard the door shut and proceeded to change into more appropriate attire.

Ten minutes later, I was in the infirmary tending to the men who were banged up due to training. Nothing serious of course but there were several cuts and bruises that I could make quick work of. As I was working on a warrior, however, there was an audible gasp from one of the healers as she stepped back when the warrior she was tending to sit up suddenly, as all of them sat up, no more cuts or bruises covering their bodies. Warmth had spread throughout the room and it appeared as if my healing abilities had just increased a level.

"What did you do? Send for Odin immediately. He will want to see this. The Queen as well," the head healer ordered. One healer did as she was asked leaving the room while I stood awaiting whatever insults I was about to receive.

"You're telling me she did this? She healed everyone by only touching one warrior. That is not possible," Odin's voice bellowed out as he gestured to the men standing in the room, no wound visible, causing some of the healers to shrink back but not me. I stood my ground, head held high, refusing to let him intimidate me.

"Clearly it is possible," I stated, earning a glare from him. I refused to let anyone intimidate anymore and I'd be damned if I let him try this time.

"My dear, perhaps her power is expanding, growing. It is possible we may not know how powerful it will become. You have to admit that this makes you intrigued, perhaps even impressed," the Queen, Frigga, suggested shooting a sly grin at me. Odin's glare softened as he sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Perhaps, though I thought that if her power has grown she would have only been able to heal five men or women, not twenty of our best warriors at one time without even touching them," he commented. Frigga nodded before strolling around the room, inspecting each warrior, their skin unblemished by any wound though some winced, the pain still evident even if there was nothing to show that they had been injured.

"There's still pain one receives while injured but all signs point to a fast recovery. That's magic at its finest as I see it. I'd love to have a lovely chat with our guest, maybe find out more about her and her power, my love," she expressed, approaching me, linking her arm though mine. Odin simply nodded and we exited the room, Frigga leading me outside to roam the palace.

"Tell me dear, were you born with these innate abilities or did you achieve them though other means?" Frigga questioned me as we walked slowly, breathing in the fresh air around us.

"Both I guess. The healing has always been a natural thing to me. The rest…I acquired by…" I answered still afraid to talk about my own dark past.

"You don't like talking about it. I understand that Loki found you screaming this morning. He tells me you were dreaming but what I know about dreams is that they don't often cause one to scream, especially not in pain," She observed. When I didn't answer she continued.

"Does anyone know what happened?" she asked, stopping to face me.

"Yes. An angel named Hannah, who also happens to be a great friend of mine but she only knows because she was there to rescue me. I've tried to tell others but the reaction is always the same. They all look at me with pity even though after...I pulled myself out of that dark place, became stronger and I don't talk about it because I don't want their pity,"

"What I want is for someone to look at me with acceptance and know that I'm strong and not someone with that tragic past; the past that they can't understand and can't relate to. I don't want them to fear me because of it. I would've told him about it this morning but I don't think I could take it if he looked at me like all the others," I answered, remembering the way I snapped at Loki when all he wanted to do was help. I wished I could take back the initial reaction and had confided in him.

"You're falling for him. Not completely though, seeing as you don't trust him enough with this secret. Understandable, given you have only known each other for a few hours but I see that you want to trust him. I also see that he cares for you, especially since you're the first that reached out to him rather than his brother. I wonder though, what is it that you see in him that others do not?" She commented.

"I see everything. Hidden love and vulnerability that he reserves only for those that truly love him. Like you; He loves you but I have a feeling that he sees himself in a shadow, so he masks his hurt and his pain in his mischief. I know there's something more there, more than what everyone thinks they see. You see it too otherwise you wouldn't have asked. You think I'll hurt him. I think you've known too many women that have hurt him in the past. That's why you wished to talk to me because of my reaction this morning,"

"I don't wish to hurt him and I wish I could take the initial reaction back because my defenses went up because of all the things I have gone through. I can't tell him this secret, not yet, but I will…in time," I answered. She smiled, nodded and took my arm in hers once more, continuing our walk.

"Good. I like you. You're one who sees beyond what you think there is to a person. I assume it's because you aren't quick to judge until you've seen the whole picture. I advise you though to tread carefully anyways. There is that vulnerability in him and if used against him, I fear it could unleash something darker that no one could pull him back from," She remarked, stopping in a front of a set of doors.

"This is the library. I take it that he'll be wanting to see you this afternoon and Clara…tell him; soon. He might be able to make the pain disappear if you let him," she told me before walking away. Standing outside those doors, I took a deep breath, watching my surroundings carefully before slipping inside.


	4. The Library

The Library

"Loki? Are you in here?" I called out, closing the door to the library behind me. It was beautiful. The golden shelves reaching the ceiling, leather couches sitting in the middle of the room; there was even a giant fireplace keeping it warm and cozy.

"Lovely isn't it? It's my favorite place to be most days," Loki's voice greeted me. I turned to see him standing beside me, a serene smile on his face. He held his hand out to me and I graciously accepted it. He pulled me against him, his arm securing its place around my waist.

"Come, there's more shelves this way. Also it's much quieter and we're less likely to be disturbed," he told me, steering me to the left. I felt…calm around him, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time, not even around Hannah, but I also felt nervous; I wasn't sure what his purpose was at the moment.

The further back we went amongst the rows and rows of shelves until we hit a wall of marble, which he ran his fingers along, magic sparking from his fingertips. The wall opened to another room dimly lit by another fireplace, one sole couch sitting on a rug.

"This is a secret place of mine. I come here when I'd rather shut myself out from the world if need be, to be alone indulging in reading," he explained, leading me to the couch; the door slid closed with a quiet thud, hiding us from prying eyes. I turned my attention to the room itself, admiring the massive bookshelves leaning on the wall. In between the bookshelves, you could clearly see golden etchings in the walls making it more stunning than it already was.

I brushed my hands along the cool, black leather couch once I got closer to it, pulling off my boots. The tile of the floor was cold beneath my feet as I ventured over the rug in front of the fireplace. The rug was soft, the material fleece and white as snow. Smiling, I turned my attention to Loki, in awe of what he had shown me.

"It's gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here. I don't imagine you bring anyone…else here," I told him, startled when he strode towards me in a rapid pace, leaving hardly any space between our bodies. He tilted my chin up so that I would meet his eyes, my breath hitching as he leaned in closer to my lips.

"You're welcome, my dear. You're absolutely correct. I don't bring anyone else here. You, it seems, are the only exception. I'd like to kiss you now if that's alright with you?" he told me, his voice low, his eyes scanning mine for any objection. I simply nodded, closing my eyes as his lips brushed mine. We pulled back for a moment; our lips still close, then pulling me back in for another, he gripped my waist tight against his body. My hands found their way into his hair not wanting to let go.

Loki nipped at my lower lip causing me to gasp allowing him to slip his tongue inside my mouth, deepening the kiss. He lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist, carrying me over to the couch and sitting down. I straddled his lap, his hands leaving my waist. One entwined in my hair, pulling me down into another passionate kiss, the other cupping my jaw, moving to the front of my dress and ripping the fabric.

It hung loose, allowing him to reach inside to stroke one of my breasts, his thumb lightly rubbing over my nipple. I moaned into his mouth, lurching forward to give him more access. Removing his hand for a minute, he ripped the back of the dress, pulling the long sleeves off my arms, freeing both breasts from the binding fabric.

"Loki, maybe we shouldn't…" I began, breaking the kiss but he pressed a finger to my lips halting my words. I was afraid someone would walk onto what we were about to do, but he seemed calmer than I felt.

"Shh…it's okay. No one will bother us, I promise, but if you don't want to, I understand," he stated.

"I do…want to. You don't know how much I want to but I don't want to play games. No tricks. I want you. I want this to be real as any lovers are," I commented.

"No games, no tricks, no manipulation. I want, no _need_ you as my lover. I can't stop thinking about you. You're under my skin and I don't want to lose this feeling when you're around," he responded. He kissed one shoulder, lowering his mouth to suck on my breast, his tongue swirling around the nipple. My hands gripped his shoulders, pleasurable tingles spreading throughout my body. Throwing my head back when he moved to other one I released a slow sigh, enjoying the foreplay. He turned me to lie down on the couch, pulling the rest of the dress off my body.

"Beautiful. Now what to do first to enjoy every bit of you," he commented, running a finger down my naked form. His hand rested on my left inner thigh, pushing my right leg off the couch.

"Hmm, this couch simply won't do. Not enough space to play on. What if I…yes much better. A giant bed for us to spread out on," Loki stated, turning the couch into a bed with dark green sheets and a gold bedframe. He quickly disrobed, climbing on top of me, kissing me with his mouth, hot and hungry. His hands spread my legs, inserting one finger, pumping in and out slowly. He added another finger, my arms enveloping him, nails digging into his skin, moaning at the pleasure shooting through me.

"Good girl. Scream my name. That's it, my love. I like having you at my mercy," he commented. He centered himself, removing his fingers, ready to enter me, but I stopped him.

"Do you have…protection?" I asked him, heat flooding my face. Loki arched an eyebrow and snapped his fingers, a condom appearing around the full extent of him. He slid into me, my walls stretching to adapt to him.

"Are you okay? I don't want to hurt you," he questioned at my grunt as he entered me. I nodded and he began to fuck me, my hips in sync with his. We were panting and moaning until I decided to hook my legs underneath his, flipping him to be on top. I linked my fingers with his, riding him until we both released our orgasm, my walls clenching around him. I collapsed onto his chest, our hands still linked, breathing hard.

"I didn't realize you were _that_ good. I expected you to be a little mediocre but you surprised me," he told me, removing his hands, stroking my back as we lay there, trying to get our breathing under control.

"Mm. You were fantastic with everything. I'm a little out of practice. I'm sure I'll improve next time," I stated. He moved me off him, the condom disappearing from view, drawing back the covers so I could get underneath them. He climbed under them as well, his arm draping over my waist, the other stroking my hair.

"What have you done to me? I can't enough of you. You treat me different than most people, one thing I'm surprised about. You haven't put me under a spell have you?" he commented. I kissed him, my hand running down his chest.

"No, I don't have any magic like you do. I've done nothing but shown you kindness and compassion. More importantly, I can't get enough of you either. I feel like I can be myself around you," I informed him. We lay like this for a few minutes before dozing off in each other's arms.

"Where is she? Where's my best friend you so rudely stole from me? I want answers now! Get your hands off of me! Clara! Clara, where are you?" a familiar voice woke me from deep slumber.

"Clara! Come out right now! Where is she? You can't keep her from me!" the voice, Hannah's, continued to shout.

"Oh, shit. Loki, wake up. We've got to get up. There's someone shouting," I stated, shaking him awake. He looked over me with lust in his expression.

"They won't find us, but if you're curious to see who it is, then put your dress back on and I'll lead you back to your room, discreetly of course. I wouldn't want anyone asking questions," he stated, fingers running over my breasts, the pads of his thumbs grazing my nipples.

"Or you could just stay here with me until they go away," he suggested when I let out a whimper in pleasure.

"As much…as I want to stay, I think we should make sure everything's okay. No enemies lurking around," I responded, a little breathless. He laughed and pulled me out of bed, handing me my dress. I threw it on, the loose fabric hanging off my body.

"Here, put this on. Wrap it around yourself to hide the rips," Loki told me throwing a black cloak in my direction. I wrapped it tightly around my body, clasping it to hold the front of the dress together, watching Loki, as he got dressed. He took my hand and le me down a hidden hallway. Checking around corners, making sure no one was around, he pulled me down the long corridor, until we reached my chambers; we stealthily went inside, closing the doors behind us.

I removed the cloak to hand back to him but he pushed it back towards my chest.

"Keep it. It looks better on you anyway," he told me. I smiled bringing to the wardrobe to hang it up, selecting a new dress to change into, tossing the destroyed one to the floor.

"Clara! I will find her! You have no right keeping her from me!" Hannah's voice shouted, this time right at my door. I pulled the rest of the dress on; Loki stuffed the ripped dress under the bed, just as the door was kicked open. Hannah burst in the room, three guards on her heels.

"Clara! Thank god, you're okay. When they took you that day, I thought you'd come back but you didn't. Now three days later, I find out you're here and these assholes"

"Hannah, don't be rude," I cut her off; she continued speaking.

"Right, okay. These _assholes_ wouldn't let me see you and…hello, and you are?" She commented, still being rude, now noticing Loki was in the room.

"Loki, Prince of Asgard. My apologies, I was sent to retrieve Cl…Miss O'Neal to bring her to the throne room but it seems I was a little late in doing so," he greeted her, his smile beaming.

"Loki, Prince of Asgard. I think you forgot the God of Mischief part. Were you really bringing her or is there some other malicious purpose as to your being here. If you hurt her I'll-"

"Hannah! Enough! He hasn't hurt me, I promise. He is telling the truth. What are you doing here anyway?" I snapped, defending him. Hannah looked as if she had been slapped, trying to school her features to one of concern.

"I was seeing if you were okay. When I didn't get contact from you, I was worried something had happened to you. I came to take you home," she answered me.

"I don't want to go home. My place is here. My services are required in Asgard. I'm sorry that I didn't contact you, but things have been quite busy up here and my powers are…increasing. I think it's best I stay here…where I can't hurt anybody," I informed her. Her eyes narrowed at my response, but she sighed defeated.

"Fine, but I'm staying for a few days to make sure they're not hurting you. I don't trust him. He's called the God of Mischief for a reason. Be wary Clara. He could use you for his own benefit," she stated.

"I think I can take care of myself but I appreciate the concern. Bear in mind that you don't know him. Be sure you do before you make any judgments about someone's character," I commented through gritted teeth. I thought she didn't judge people but it seemed I was wrong.

"We should report to my father. You'll need his permission to stay here," Loki stated, his expression darkening at her comment.

_Great, my lover and my best friend don't get along,_ I thought to myself as we exited the room.

"All the commotion this morning made me think an enemy was at our door but now I see one of _your_ friends has intruded our palace and she seeks permission to stay here," Odin greeted us in the throne room. He did not look happy and I was afraid of what he might do or say.

"She only wanted to validate my safety. She's a bodyguard of sorts. I apologize for the commotion she caused this morning but I didn't know she was even coming here," I explained, trying to ease the tension. His angry expression didn't change, which only made me worry more.

"Another human, on Asgard, seems to be a bit problematic. I'm not sure-"

_"She's _not a human. I'm an angel in case any of you were wondering. I'm sorry I intruded but I received no contact from her and the last time that happened I…She was my responsibility then and I failed her. I _will not_ fail her this time,"

"If you send me home, then she will be coming with me, no ifs or buts about it. If you let me remain here and see that's she safe and out of harm's way then I will leave and return if it deems necessary," Hannah argued.

"Another woman with a bold attitude. You may stay for five days to see to her safety and we will alert you if you need to return or if you receive information that she's in danger. In those five days, you are welcome to attend our ball. I can assure you no harm will befall her here," Odin ordered.

"Thank you, your majesty," she said, bowing to him. He dismissed us and we headed back to my chambers.

"Wait! Miss Clara! Can I have a word with you…in private? Ahh!" the warrior Erik stopped us halfway there, screaming when Hannah put her sword to his throat.

"Whoa, easy there tiger! He's the one I was sent to heal. He's not a threat. Relax, I'll be fine," I commented, placing one hand on her shoulder, one on the blade itself. She lowered it and sighed.

"Fine, but I'm waiting outside the door," she told me. I nodded and pulled Erik in the room we stopped in front of. It turned out all he wanted was for me to teach him how to dance to impress his wife. He didn't want anyone to know, his brother Noah being the only exception since he wanted lessons as well. In the coming days of these secret lessons, jealousy would spark itself in Loki.

I returned to my chambers with Hannah where we caught up with each other until I was summoned to help with healing other Asgardians. These powers were increasing and soon those from my past would get word and it was only a matter of time before they would seek me out.


	5. Dancing Lessons and the Masquerade Ball

Dancing Lessons and the Masquerade Ball

The days leading up to the Asgard's masquerade ball were filled with joy and secrets. In between spending time with Loki, I was also giving lessons to the warriors Erik and Noah on dancing, taking turns for hours until they felt confident enough to impress their wives.

One particular day the weather had turned dreary creating a lazy atmosphere with all Asgardians. I was in my room reading, no one to heal when Loki strolled in.

"Good morning Clara. Still in your pajamas I see. I thought you were needed for your healing services, but you haven't even gotten out of bed. Is the weather affecting your mood?" he greeted me, immediately stretching out on the bed after locking the door behind him. I smiled, putting my book aside momentarily to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"No, there seems to be a lack of people to heal at the present. Anyways, it's the perfect day to stay in bed and read," I replied, resuming my reading.

"Why read when _we_ could be doing _other_ activities?" he remarked, taking the book out my hands and placing it face down on the bedside table. He gripped my ankle, sliding my body down so I lay flat against the mattress, my hair fanning out against the sheets. A pillow flopped down on my face causing me to move it propping my head up.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" I questioned as he lay on top of me, his hands on either side of my head. He flashed me a lustful smile, untying the satin strings of my teal chemise I wore; He pushed both sides of the garment aside, exposing my nearly naked form were it not for the thong I had on underneath.

The cool air hit my breasts, hardening my nipples, grabbing Loki's attention.

"I can think of a few things we can do," he responded, grazing his thumbs over them; my back arched instinctively at his touch, a low moan escaping my lips. He shifted the straps of the chemise off my arms, casting it to the floor; the thong came off next, his hands spreading my legs apart. He inserted two long fingers inside my body, his thumb rubbing against my clit. A surge of pleasure swept though me as he pumped in and out of me.

"Already drenched for me darling? Do I really have that much of an affect on you?" he commented, removing his fingers and tasting me.

"You have no idea how much you affect me," I said, craving more of him. My hands twitched as I reached out towards his, surprised when he pulled away.

"Loki…"

"Just a minute, my dear, then I'm all yours," he stated, disrobing before he positioned his body on top of me again. Reaching down, he pumped himself a few times; I shoved his hands away, taking over.

"Allow me," I told him, the he made reverberated around the room. Loki dropped his head on my chest, latching onto a breast, sucking and pulling on the nipple while I worked him.

"I've got to be inside you. Now," he commented, pulling back to move my hand. He slid inside my core, both of us moaning. My arms wrapped around him, nails digging into his back while he pumped in and out of me.

"Oh, god, Loki! Keep going," I cried out, sweat beading on my forehead. We came closer to the edge about to release when a knock sounded at my door.

"Miss Clara? I need your assistance. Well, actually Noah and I really need your help," Erik's voice followed. We froze, staying quiet, hoping he'd leave; he didn't. Erik knocked again, repeating his request.

"Uh…okay. Meet me where we had our last…routine. I'll be there in a few minutes," I responded, my eyes locked on Loki.

"Sure. Thanks for this Miss Clara,"

We listened as the sound of his boots faded away before resuming our _activity_. He pulled out lying down beside me. I rolled over to lay my head against his neck, kissing him soft and gentle.

"What does he need _your_ help with?'

"Nothing important. Don't stress about it,"

I got up, grabbing the throw on the edge of the bed to wrap myself up with. Walking to the wardrobe, I selected a gold dress to change into. He propped up on his elbows, his brow furrowed.

"You're not…"

"No, Loki. I'm not sleeping with him or his brother. They're both married to other people," I cut him off, slipping underwear on. I proceeded to slide the dress over my head, turning to face him.

"Look, it's not really that big of a deal. Again, don't stress about it. I belong to only you," I told him, gliding over to the bed. I kissed him on the lips, my hands caressing his cheeks. I left a final kiss on his cheek before I exited the room, leaving him to get dressed.

"Let's try that again. This time don't be afraid to catch me when I spin into you," I stated, Erik nodding. Secret dance lessons were given to the warrior brothers and they were improving a little. I didn't know the traditional Asgardian dances but I taught them what I did know from the dance classes I had been taught during my childhood and high school. The secret meetings concerned Hannah and Loki, both thinking I was doing something I wasn't supposed to. It turned out their wives were worried as well. They didn't know what the two warriors were doing with the human healer.

Speaking of my healing, it had grown from healing everyone in the room to absorbing some of the pain myself. I had to work on suppressing it some when the first time it had occurred, the pain was so overwhelming it rendered me unconscious.

"Very good. Let's run through the whole thing again," I complimented Erik, redoing the steps I had taught him. He did the choreography effortlessly this time grinning from ear-to-ear like a five year old celebrating his first achievement.

"Thank you for this. I know it might be hard for you keeping this secret but we're very grateful for these lessons," Noah commented, leaning against a table in one of the empty rooms in the palace.

"It's not that hard but people keep asking questions, Loki being one of them. Come over here, it's your turn now," I remarked, stretching out my hand to him. Every time Loki asked me what I had been up to sneaking around the palace, I had to lie to him but somehow he didn't catch onto them; or so I thought. He hesitated, remaining against the table.

"Come on. If your brother can do it, you certainly can too. Think of how impressed your wife will be," I stated, beckoning him with my fingers.

"I think we should call it a day. We've been practicing for a few more hours than we usually do and I don't want anyone more suspicious than they already are,"

"Uh-uh. Let's do this routine. You wanted my help, so let me help you. Besides it's still raining. No one will be leaving their chambers much today,"

Noah sighed, giving up and taking my hand. I danced with him for another two hours perfecting his technique. Setting up another day for more pratice, we parted ways resuming our activities we had been doing. On the way back to my room, I ran into Loki in the corridor, who pulled me behind a column of marble.

"It's a little risky doing it here, but if you insist…" I greeted him. He laughed, linking his fingers through mine.

"As tempting as that sounds, that's not why I brought you over here. You know the masquerade ball is coming up in a few days right?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that has to do with anything,"

"Well, we're being paired off and so far no one wants to be my partner. I was thinking that maybe you would like to; be my partner, that is,"

"You're asking me to dance with you? I don't know any of the traditional dances. What happens if I screw up?" I questioned, mentally going into panic mode. I wanted to be his partner, but I wasn't sure if I'd be a good match for him. The other fear was there could be a possibility I wasn't even allowed to be his partner.

"I'll teach you. And before you anything about not being allowed to dance with me, you should know my mother has already agreed to it. What do you say? Want to be my partner?"

"I say yes. I'd love to," I said, accepting his invitation.

"Wonderful, we'll start practice tonight. Meet me in the library. We'll dance in that special place of mine," he told me, kissing me on the forehead, pulling me away in the opposite direction of my room.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my dress rustling against the floor, our pace rushed.

"My chambers. There's more I didn't get to do earlier," he answered. We reached the entrance of his room, Loki lifting me in his arms, his hands gripping my ass. He kissed me long and deep, his tongue swiping swiftly over mine.

"By all means, do what you want with me," I remarked, my voice heavy with desire. Loki opened his doors, carrying me inside and shut us out from prying eyes.

My day-to-day activities increased two-fold. I was practicing with Loki, teaching Erik and Noah more choreography, hanging out with Hannah and the healing had picked up in a large margin. It was getting harder to juggle everything, not to mention I still met Loki for our late night rendezvous', a secret we managed to keep from those close to us. Today was no different with the lessons with Erik and Noah, except we hadn't noticed Loki had followed us to our meeting place. We still rehearsed the routine and had been at it for an hour when the doors burst open, Loki stalking in. His expression was an angry one, softening at what he saw; the truth behind the secret meet-ups.

"Prince Loki, w-we were only-," Noah began, silenced by Loki's chuckle.

"You're rehearsing for the ball. Clara, you could have told me you were giving out lessons. No matter, I only thought your wives would have liked to know what you three were up to," he said, standing to the side, two women-a red head and a blonde-with shocked expressions on their features.

"Melanie, Camille. It's not what it looks like. She was giving us dance lessons. We wanted to surprise you both," Erik greeted them, a red hue growing on his face. I clasped my hands together, head lowered unable to meet anyone's gaze.

"You were…giving lessons?" one of the women asked. I nodded, still not lifting my head.

"Thank you. I sure hope they've vastly improved. I mean no offense but you two are awful dancers," the other woman commented. My head snapped up, seeing them smile. They walked over and embraced me in a hug, introducing each other. Melanie, the redhead was Noah's wife, who was also one of the healers that worked nights only. Camille, the blonde, was Erik's wife who was part of Frigga's entourage was ecstatic to meet the healer, who brought her love back from the brink of death.

The warriors showed them what they had learned; I stood to the side watching the gleeful expressions form on the wives' faces. I was immediately aware of Loki's presence, his gaze transfixed on me-his shoulder brushed against me as he stood next to me-wanting to say something.

"I thought Gods weren't supposed to get jealous," I said before he could get a word out.

"I wasn't jealous. _They_ might've been given your secret meet-ups," he remarked, gesturing to the women across the room. I peered up at him, noticing his crossed arms, a neutral expression on his face.

"You know for the God of Mischief and Lies, _that _was a terrible lie in itself. I told you the truth the other day. It's only you I want. I'm only yours," I murmured, words only he could hear. The cool touch of his fingers met the heat of my own, linking us together, the couples swaying with each other not even noticing the exchange a few feet away.

"Let's keep it that way, he muttered in my ear, pulling out of my grasp at the first look in our direction from the other people in the room. Walking out of the room, I received more thanks from both of the couples; A couple embraces were given and they turned, arm in arm back to their own chambers. Once out of view Loki leaned down capturing my lips in a light kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow night for the masquerade," he said, his touch lingering for a moment longer; he swiveled on his heel and left me alone in the hallway smiling; the love I had for him growing in my heart.

The night of the masquerade, I dressed in a satin gown, the green and gold colors meaning I belonged to Loki for the night. The mask itself, a dark green color and gold embellishments creating an intricate pattern making it stand out more. I tied the silky ribbons around my head, the strings falling into my light brown curls. There was knock at my door, signaling Loki's arrival; I walked over, opening the door to see him standing in the hallway. I scanned over him, the green and gold suit he wore and the black mask that framed his features defining the emerald color of his eyes.

"You look ravishing my love," he greeted me, taking my arm and leading me to the ballroom.

"You look rather stunning yourself," I told him, heat blossoming my face from his compliment. The guards at the entrance of the ballroom opened the doors to let us in; everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, their full attention on us as we walked in. The people on the floor parted making a clear path as we walked through them, taking our positions on the golden steps with Thor, Frigga, and Odin. Odin stepped forward, the music stopping so he could speak.

"Let's celebrate tonight as a thanks of bringing us our new healer and for helping us with her extraordinary abilities. Let's celebrate tonight for the love and joy for others. Gentlemen, if you would play for the first dance of the night. Frigga, my queen, would you join me on the floor?" he stated, the first part of his speech causing me to grip onto Loki's arm, my heart hammering in my chest when I was in the spotlight. Frigga grasped Odin's hand and followed him to the middle of the dance floor.

"I invite my sons to join us in dancing the first dance," Odin chimed out. Thor pulled Hannah from the crowd, Loki bringing me down the stairs to the floor.

"Relax. It'll be okay," he whispered to me, placing one hand on my waist, taking the other in his hand. The music started-a waltz-and we swayed with each other for a few minutes, other couples joining in around us.

"Hey, are you all right?" Loki asked me, a finger tilting my chin up to glance up at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied, knowing full well what my heart was telling me. I loved him, simply put. The masquerade continued with more dances, a feast, and talking with Thor and Hannah; sometimes we just found an empty seat and talked with each other. As the night winded down, Loki took the chance to walk me back to my chambers. Silence ensued the entire way there, continuing when we entered the room itself.

"Are you sure you're okay? You haven't said one word since we left the ball. Did I do something to offend you?" Loki asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine. Trust me. I only wanted to get you alone so I could do this," I answered pulling him into a kiss. It was partly true, the other part being I knew I loved him, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I was afraid of what his reaction might be and I didn't want to spook him, driving Loki to end things. I wanted this relationship to continue, possibly developing into something more; what if he didn't want the same thing? What if he didn't want…me?

His hands tangled in my hair kissing me back; my hands snaked around his waist pulling him close to my body. He groaned pulling back, restraining from going too far.

"Darling, I've been wanting to kiss you all night. I'd rather not rush things this time. I want to let things simmer, to take things slow and gentle," he told me, tugging me to sit down on the bed. Lifting me to place me in his lap, he kissed me once, twice, thrice starting a make-out session. He removed my mask next, then his placing both on the bedside table, his hands moving up and down my arms. He encased his fingers in my hair, my hands cupping his face, continuing to kiss each other. He removed one hand and snapped his fingers, his suit becoming silky pajama bottoms, no shirt on; I brushed my fingers down his lean, muscular chest.

He pulled my dress off my body, laying me flat against the sheets, the dress hitting the floor as he tossed it to the side. He captured my lips again, subtly slipping his tongue inside my mouth. One hand brought my leg up to hook around his hips, the other turning my head to the side; He kissed my neck, his hands moving down my body, delicate kisses left on my flushed skin. Sighs and little moans escaped our lips as we continued to leave little touches here and there, everywhere.

He lifted me up to unhook the corset I was wearing, casting it aside and continuing his descent down my body with his kisses; Loki stopped above my panty line to bring my lips to his.

"Loki…" I breathed, needing him, _wanting _him, the tension between us sizzling with intense passion.

"Shh, we're taking it slow. Relax into my touch," he told me, sliding off my panties inch by teasing inch.

"Mesmerizing every time," he muttered, his low voice vibrating against my skin where rested his lips to my thigh. He withdrew his head and slipped off his pants and underwear in one fluid motion.

"Remember, slow and gentle. I plan to make love to you sweet and with a lot of passion," he said, spreading my legs. He sheathed himself inside my body, intertwining his fingers between mine. He pumped in and out, kissing me again, the pace of our hips slow and in rhythm. The release hit, multiple waves of pleasure surging throughout our bodies; my skin tingled at his touch. He pulled out, lying on his side, pulling me close to him.

"I think I'll stay here tonight if you'll have me," he commented, snuggling closer as if begging for me to say yes. I obliged him by nuzzling his neck and securing him to my body, refusing to let him leave. He rolled over to snuff out the candle on the bedside table, shrouding us in darkness; Snuggling close, we fell in a deep slumber, our relationship somehow developing into something more than lovers.


	6. An Unexpected Battle

An Unexpected Battle

The infirmary was quiet, the patients sleeping off pain or waiting patiently while other healers tended to their wounds. The rumble came first, the walls trembling as something large flew by or vibrated a sonic pulse through the sky; maybe even brushing up against the palace walls. Nothing good would come out of it, a danger about to make its presence known.

The floor vibrated under our feet for a few seconds, silence resuming within the room. Everything seemed fine until we heard the shouts from people outside in the halls, the grunts from the guards outside our doors suddenly growing silent. The doors burst open, five giant warriors with different weapons ranging from swords to crossbows or a traditional bow and arrow. They were all different in appearance; two had blonde hair but their eyes were different, one had blue eyes, the other brown. One had dark hair and brown eyes, one was a red haired and had hazel eyes, and the last had brown hair and green eyes. Each of the warriors had beards and the length and texture of hair was the same, long and curly.

"Look at all the pretty ladies brothers. There's no one to protect them. We could take them all to…play with," one of them commented. The way they all leered at us made me uneasy, on edge. The one in front stalked forward, his giant meaty hands groping one of the healers, a hateful grin on his face as she struggled against him.

I wasn't thinking clearly as what I did next had a shocking result. I heard the glass shatter before I realized what I'd done. My hand outstretched, a massive mirror had been flung towards the warrior and had shattered, shards of glass raining down upon him and the healer he had in his grasp. He released a low growl sending shivers down my spine, the hairs on my arms raised up as I lowered the one stretched out to my side. He turned his head towards me, a menacing glare on his face.

"Now, lady, that wasn't very nice. I think I'll have to punish you for it and then I'll murder your friends before slaughtering you as the last one breathes her last breath," he snapped, his voice rough and gravely. As if to prove a point, he notched an arrow, aiming the bow directly at the woman I just saved.

This time I didn't hesitate, pulling on my telekinetic abilities as he loosed the arrow. The head of it plunged deep into my left shoulder; sticking out the back of my body, blood spurting out and trickling down the sleeve of my dress.

I winced, the pain there but not too much because of the speed of how it flew towards me. I pulled on the full potential of my power, thrusting my hands forward, sending the five men flying out of the room.

"I'll hold them back as long as I can. Go! Get out of here. Try to help anyone you see," I stated, focusing my attention on the women I'd come to admire working alongside of for the last month. They nodded, fleeing the premises, my energy returned to keeping the warriors at bay.

"Bitch! You're not even one of them and yet you protect them. When I get over to you, I'm going to rip you into pieces," the one who first spoke stated.

"You can try, but I won't go down without a fight. What is it with enemies not giving up their names? Is it because of a huge ego or maybe it's just your stupidity?" I snapped back, beads of sweat beginning to form on my forehead.

"You want our names do you? You can scream them out as we fuck you. At least you'll have some fun before you die. I'm Callum. My brothers are Adrian, Eros, Nolan, and Ryker. Tell us your name woman,"

"Not a chance. Goodbye, morons,"

I closed my fists; my attention fixed on the beams over their heads and pulled them down, hard. The beams collapsed into the tile below, onto those warriors, their bodies crumpling with the weight dropped on them. A cloud of dust puffed into the air, creating the perfect getaway scene for me. Did I stay to check if they were dead or unconscious? No, but if they were alive, I couldn't risk the chance of them capturing me, so I ran through the corridors of the palace.

I stopped only to help heal those injured; yes, with the arrow still lodged in my shoulder, but I couldn't let anyone be hurt. Pausing to heal the fifth Asgardian, a male, I encountered, I heard a loud shout, turning my head to see another group of enemy warriors running toward us. I whipped my hand out, flinging them backwards, the thuds of their bodies hitting the floor followed by grunts of pain escaping their throats.

"Can you walk?" I asked, my voice calm despite the fear at the possibility of dying if he couldn't. He nodded, standing up. Though he limped, we were able to escape the hallway to an empty room where I stashed him for the moment while I continued finding others to help.

"You! You're going to pay for dropping those beams on us! Get-," a familiar voice shouted, cut off abruptly. I turned to spot Loki holding Callum by his long hair, blood spilling from his slit throat; the dagger Loki held by his side slicked in the bright red color, his fingers coated with darker, dried blood.

"Brother! We'll kill-," Another voice silenced as one by one, Loki ended their lives, opening throats with ease, the fluid motion and skill shocking me. He strode over to me, one hand cupping my face, a gentle kiss placed to my forehead; his ruthlessness was gone replaced by something more sweet and kind.

"Clara, my love. You have an arrow sticking out your shoulder," he stated, tilting my head up with two fingers, our eyes locking on each other.

"Don't worry about it. I've got a job to do, more people to heal," I commented, trying to push past him. His arm locked around my waist preventing me from moving.

"Don't…worry about it? Clara, you're injured. I'm sure people will understand if you can't heal them. Let's get that…hey, don't walk away from me," he remarked, briefly stunned as I pushed him off with telekinesis, walking out of the corridor.

"I will rest when I'm sure others no longer need my help today. You can either guard me as I tend to the wounded or you can go be of some help elsewhere. Move out the way, Loki. I'm doing this with or without you," I argued, resisting the urge to tap my foot waiting for him to step out of my path.

"I can't convince you to sit this one out? Not even if I do _this_?" he asked, leaning down and kissing me, the passion behind it meaning only one thing.

"Stop. It isn't appropriate given the circumstances. Though I wouldn't mind some fun at another time. I've made my decision. What are you going to do? Help me or go somewhere else? There is no other option here," I stated, pulling back from him, but not without difficulty. Loki sighed, stepping to the side to let me pass, his daggers at the ready should he need to use them.

"I'll help you. You're incredibly stubborn you know? It's one of the many things I love about you. You're not afraid to speak your mind," he remarked, keeping up with my quick pace.

"Love? Did you say love?" I asked, making us both freeze in our tracks.

"I…Watch out!"

He moved me out of the way of an oncoming warrior, whose broadsword sliced the air hitting the floor with such a force it cracked the stone tile. The enemy got trapped trying to pull it out where it was lodged giving Loki enough time to give him a few quick jabs in the back, making a clean cut across the throat as a finishing move; the warrior fell over dead, slumping against the hilt of his sword.

"Come on, you've got more healing to do," Loki said, the previous discussion now forgotten.

The battle seemed to last a few hours, all of the people I healed consisting of beaten, bruised and stabbed warriors; my own wound was starting to hurt, the pain sometimes unbearable but I pushed through it. My job wasn't finished yet and Loki stayed by my side protecting me until the final moment when we put an end to the unexpected attack, the leader captured and sent to the dungeons.

"Clara, I must say I'm impressed with your ability to help our injured people despite the wound to your shoulder. I also should thank you for coming to the rescue of our healers, especially Reina, who wouldn't be among us now if you hadn't stepped in," Odin said, nodding to the arrow still lodged in my shoulder.

"We still lost some. I'm afraid I wasn't able to get to them in time. Are there any others still left to heal?" I remarked, the fatigue coursing through me, a throbbing pain returning to the hole in my shoulder.

"No, you did well. Maybe you should rest. Let us see to that wound," Frigga replied, her hands reaching out to me, as if waiting for something. My head hurt, the light-headed feeling making the room spin around me. I guess it was from the blood loss the arrow was responsible for. My vision started to get hazy as I realized what she was waiting for. My body gave out, the weariness catching up to me; I briefly recalled someone catching me as I fell backwards, a voice calling my name, maybe Loki's, I didn't know for sure. The room faded to black as I passed out.

When I awoke, I found myself in the infirmary, my head swimming either because of the magic coursing through my body or hunger, I wasn't sure. Remembering the events that took place, I looked down to my shoulder, noticing the absence of the arrow replaced by a bandage wrapped around it.

"Get the prince and the queen! She's awake," a healer shouted. Seconds later, Loki and Frigga burst inside the room, Loki pulling me into a hug, relief flooding his features.

"What happened? How long have I been out?" I asked when he let go.

"Not long, just one day. You passed out in the throne room. My guess is that the wound became more of a problem, not to mention you probably were exhausted from all the healing performed during those hours. How long have you known that you can't heal yourself?" Frigga explained, her hand resting on my shoulder, comforting me.

"A few years. I realized it when I accidentally sliced open my hand with a knife cutting vegetables and it didn't immediately heal for a few minutes," I answered. I wanted to link my fingers with Loki's but I didn't want her to know that there was something between us, never mind the fact I was falling in love with him or the conversation where he had said something he _loved_ about me. I was allowed to return to my chambers, the healers clearing me of any infection, the wound itself in the last stages of healing.

It was a good thing too because I wanted to spend some time with Loki, to have him hold me, to kiss me.

"He's been by your side every chance he gets. I didn't realize that you two were that close," Frigga mentioned before he escorted me to my chambers.

"He's my best friend. Why wouldn't we be close? Plus he saved my life during the battle, which only brought us closer," I stated, earning a smile from her. Maybe she suspected something but I wasn't going to fuel any more suspicions about our relationship. Loki and I walked down to my chambers, making sure no one was looking before he slipped inside, pulling me to the bed. He took off his boots, lifting me into his lap, kissing me, a deep kiss that was sweeter than usual.

"You had me worried. I told you we should've had it looked at. When you didn't heal immediately, I thought I was going to lose you. Please, don't scare me like that again," he told me, kissing my shoulder that wasn't wrapped up.

"I'll try but no guarantees," I stated, earning a tight squeeze from him. We ended up cuddling together, sharing the occasional kiss, the events of yesterday securing our blooming bond. The events would have its consequences, consequences that would soon come to play after we celebrated Loki's birthday and I revealed all to him about my dark past.


	7. Birthday Surprises

"Will you get up? We've got work to do! Clara! Move your lazy ass!" a voice yelled while simultaneously hitting my body with a pillow. I caught the next hit forcing whoever it was back away from me.

"What the hell is wrong with you Hannah? What time is it?" I snapped, my eyes blazing with wild fury when she woke me up with no warning whatsoever.

"I don't know. Early. Come on we need to get going. Your services are needed. Now, Clara!" she responded, throwing clothes in my face. Groaning, I stripped off my nightdress, shoving on…a black tank top and blue jeans …what the hell is going on?

"Hannah you said my services were needed. You didn't mean here did you?" I asked, realization setting in.

"Someone on Earth has requested your help. One of those angels you called creepy. Normally, I wouldn't bother you about it given your…closeness with Loki, but it sounded urgent,"

"I can't just leave. I've got duties up here too, you know. Not to mention that today is Loki's birthday. And I don't even know how long this will take. I'd offer to help…"

"I've taken care of everything. Already got approval from Odin, even Heimdall has agreed to let you go down there. I'm aware it's his birthday, which is why I've come early. Besides weren't you going to ask permission to come down anyway? You know, because you were getting his gift," Hannah interjected.

"Urgh! Fine, but if one of them hits on me, we're leaving immediately. Understood?"

She nodded, motioning to the door and we walked out going through the palace to meet Heimdall at the edge of Asgard.

"When you're ready to come back, just call my name and I'll transport you right here. Have a safe trip ladies," he told us opening up a portal to my home world. Taking a deep breath Hannah and I stepped through to New York.

"This way," Hannah said, directing me down the street on the way to a tiny apartment on the west side where a group of angels surrounded a blond haired male, three wounds to his abdomen; it looked as if some creature or Freddy Krueger himself had ripped into him. The male was sweating, his breathing labored and his arms shackled down in order for him to not fight back. I passed my hand over him, scanning for anything else one might have missed.

"Thank you for coming. I know it was a lot to ask, especially since…" one of the group said.

"It's no problem. These wounds are poisoned and infected. Does anyone know what scratched him?" I stated, pulling up a chair, inspecting the blonde's body for any other bruises or scratches, careful not to touch the scratch marks themselves; the poison could affect me as well if I didn't take extra precaution.

"Some kind of beast. None of us got a good look ma'am," another replied, an olive-skinned, green-eyed male standing at the head of the table the wounded man lay on.

"Hannah, do you have a hair tie?" I asked, deciding to get to work, nothing else to be done at the present time. She surrendered the one she had pulled her own hair back with and I twisted my hair into a bun securing it to the top of my head.

"I need some rubbing alcohol and a rag, towel, any cloth you can find. I need to clean out this wound before I heal him. Also, I need a jar as well to put the poison in that penetrated his system when the thing that attacked him scratched him. What are you all standing around for? Move, people! Now!" I ordered. Someone shoved a rag and a bottle of the rubbing alcohol into my hands while others rummaged around trying to find a jar or a container of some sort to satisfy my needs.

"Is she usually this bossy?" someone spoke in low tone, not thinking I could hear what it said.

"Quiet! I need to concentrate. If _you_ call me bossy one more time, then you can experience how I handle insults for yourself. No one move an inch," I blurted out, side-eyeing the one who spoke, a black haired female who had a scowl on her face. I returned my focus on the blond, squeezing his hand to capture his attention.

"You're going to feel a bit of burning. That'll be the alcohol. It's nothing compared to the pain you're going to feel as I extract the poison. First thing, tell me your name," I told him.

"Adrian,"

"Well, Adrian, I'm going to need you to be strong for me okay? Be as strong as you can be. It'll all be over in a few minutes and then you can relax. Can you do that for me?" I stated. He nodded and I poured some alcohol over the three deep scratches, the male grunting in pain at the burning sensation, his breathing turning into panting as I wiped the blood and alcohol from the wounds.

"First part, done. Ready for the next round?"

Adrian nodded, holding my free hand as tight as he could. I let out a deep breath, closed my eyes and passed my other hand over his form. That's when the screaming began, the poison coursing its way out of his body. I opened my eyes, flexing my hand to direct the liquid into the container – a bucket – that someone had found.

This took a few minutes, the last bit draining out, the screams starting to die down, his body no longer writhing in excruciating pain. I let go as the last drop hit the surface of the bucket, my body slumping and my breathing a little shallow.

"Clara, are you okay?" Hannah asked, her hands resting on my shoulders.

"I'm…fine. I need…to finish. One…last round," I managed, my voice hoarse, sweat dripping from my forehead, a nosebleed beginning to fall from one nostril. Placing my hands on the wounds, nothing left to harm me; the warmth of my healing flooded the room as I healed them closed. I pulled back, leaning back in my chair, my energy completely drained.

"Water, please," I stated, wiping away the blood from my nose on the back of my hand. A glass of the cool liquid was pressed into my palm and I took a long drink of it, hydrating my throat and salivating my tongue.

"Thank you. You've been a great help," the first angel – a red haired male – that had thanked me the first time said. It seemed odd that none of them except the blonde male had given me their names.

"Anytime," I breathed out, some energy returning.

"Come, Clara. Let's go rent a hotel room so you can get some rest," Hannah commented. I nodded, slinging my arm over her shoulders and walking out of the apartment. What we hadn't known was that the group of angels were linked to my past, a mistake on Hannah's part in her hurry to help them out. They had seen what I had done and would send word to the demons of my past their findings.

Meanwhile back on Asgard

"What do you _mean_ she's back on Earth? What did she go down there for? Is she coming back?" Loki questioned. There was panic in his bright green eyes but it vanished in an instant in case anyone noticed. The relationship between Clara and Loki was still a secret and he didn't want anyone to find out…yet.

"She had been requested to help someone else. Hannah said it sounded urgent and they left early this morning," his mother responded. Loki didn't know his mother had figured out the relationship and fully supported it. He didn't know that she knew he was in love with Clara.

"Is she coming back?" Loki snapped, earning an eyebrow raise from Frigga.

"I believe so, yes. Heimdall said she's resting in a hotel room right now. Apparently, the work took its toll on her. I'm also told she's running some errands while she's there. Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be back in time for your birthday feast. I don't think she'd miss it for the world," she answered. He nodded, dragging a hand through his hair and pacing the room.

"Loki, honey. It'll be all right. She loves you. I know you love her as well, which is why you're all worked up," Frigga stated. Loki froze, turning to his mother, a shocked expression on his face.

"I…we…" he stammered, now at a loss for words.

"You didn't think I knew about the relationship you two share? She's a lovely girl and you two have become extremely close to one another. Plus I think she's allowed you to be yourself. It's up to you on how you want to proceed with it,"

"I also think today might be the day she reveals all to you. Keep her close Loki. There might come a day when you really need her," Frigga continued, walking from the room, leaving Loki alone with his thoughts. It was then that he knew how he wanted to extend the growing relationship.

Earth

_"Take his life! Now, you stupid girl!"_

_ "NO! I won't! You can't…"_

_A scream echoed around the room, the electricity shooting through her body._

_ "You were made to do this. Kill him!"_

_ "I…said…NO! I don't want to kill anyone. I'd rather heal…"_

_Another scream reverberates the walls, the torture continuing, this time cuts slicing into her skin by an invisible knife…_

"Clara! Wake up! Come on! Wake up!" Hannah shouted, shaking me awake. I bolted up my mouth snapping shut when I realized I had been the one screaming.

"Nightmares again? I thought those had gone away," Hannah commented, a comforting hand on my arm.

"Not nightmares, memories from that place. No, they haven't left my mind. They've just lessened," I told her.

"Does he know? Loki. Have you told him what happened to you?"

"No. I'm going to tell him, tonight actually. Hannah, I know you don't trust him but I do. You might not understand but it's like my whole world lights up when I'm around him. It's better when he walks into a room and I feel like I can finally be…"  
"Free, I know, but Clara…they can't hurt you anymore. It's good that you're telling him. He should know if you're insisting on him being a part of your life,"

I smiled, pushing the covers off of my legs and getting up to run my errands. I planned on stopping by a bookstore and picking up a couple of poetry books, maybe some Shakespeare for his birthday.

Reading was something he loved and the most important gift I had left to give him was my heart; something I planned to give him later when we were alone. After stopping by the bookstore, I swung by a dress shop, selecting a long green dress that had an intricate design on the sleeves and black heels to match. Returning to the hotel, I changed, pinning my hair up in a half ponytail, admiring the way the dress flowed on my body.

"Ready to go back?" Hannah asked, escorting me outside, my gifts in hand as we looked to the twilight sky. I nodded and she shouted the sentry's name, bright light transporting us back to Asgard.

"Welcome back Lady Clara, Lady Hannah. Loki is waiting for you in the great hall for his birthday feast," Heimdall informed us.

"Thank you Heimdall,"

Hannah escorted me to the dining hall, a group of guards opening the doors revealing my entrance. Three heads looked over at us, the only one I really wanted capturing my attention. Loki left his mother and Thor at the table, gliding over to me, a smile planted on his face.

"Clara, you're back. Come and sit beside me. We were just about to eat," he told me, taking my arm out of Hannah's grasp and leading me to a chair beside him. Hannah took her place beside Thor, chemistry brewing between them. We ate, laughed and celebrated Loki's birthday to the fullest, ending the night by Loki walking me to his room, shutting us behind closed doors.

"Having a good birthday?" I asked him, sitting on his bed, my wrapped gift in front of me.

"I am now. I have to admit I was worried when you left," he told me, taking a seat across from me.

"I planned on coming back to you. I wouldn't have missed your birthday for the world," I told him, leaning in to kiss him, his lips cool against mine. I pulled back, pushing his gift towards him.

"Open it,"

He smiled, his hands prying open the bag, lifting the contents – the three books, one poetry, two Shakespeare plays – and placing them on the sheets.

"Clara…I…thank you," he stated, a grin on his lips. He kissed me, pushing the books to the side and pulling me into his lap. We made out, our tongues locked in a dominating war, my hands lacing into his hair, his hands wrapped around my waist.

"I love you Clara," he confessed, breaking the kiss for a moment and then pulling me back in for more.

"Loki…wait a minute. Please, I need…I've got to tell you something," I told him, pressing my hand against his chest, my head lowered.

"Is everything okay my love?" he asked, tilting my head up to look at him.

"Can we lay against the pillows? What I'm about to say is kind of a long story,"

He nodded, taking off his boots and removing my heels, shifting our bodies to prop up against the pillows. I linked our fingers together wondering where to start, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Clara, you're scaring me. Did I say something wrong? Should I have not told you…?"

I pressed my fingers against his lips, silencing him.

"Do you remember when you asked who hurt me?"

He nodded, kissing my fingertips.

"A few years ago I had been working a job, healing some of Hannah's friends. The healing wasn't as strong back then but word of it had spread throughout the world, the universe even. During this time, the healing would take a few days rather than minutes and these people…demons…showed up. Hannah hadn't been there that day, a job of her own to take care of," I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"They captured me and brought me to their leader who liked…to experiment with…other abilities. They strapped me down and injected me with some kind of liquid darkness, hoping I'd take lives instead of saving them,"

Tears had sprung to my eyes, the first memory replaying in my head in great detail.

"Clara…"

"Please, let me finish. I trust you enough to tell you everything," I told him. He stroked my back, a comforting gesture that made me feel at ease.

"When they did this, it burned inside my body and there was so much pain. I screamed as it became unbearable, that same darkness lashing out and killing the two in the room because they wouldn't stop. Eventually I learned how to control it, suppress it. Stop it from hurting anyone,"

"Again they, tried to force me to hurt people, each time I refused and each time they'd torture me using a different person with a different ability every time. The last time I refused, they grew tired of my stubbornness and tried to kill me,"

"They brought me to a room with a guy who could send electric currents through your body and a guy who could both cut you with an invisible knife and take the oxygen from your lungs. They took their time trying to break me, to kill me. They almost succeeded…if it weren't…for Hannah,"

"She burst through and killed them, rescuing me…but they had left their scars on me, on my mind, on my soul. It hurt to talk about it, so I didn't and for a while I wouldn't let anyone touch me. Not until you. That day when you came to my room I had that nightmare and…it unfurled that dark place. I didn't mean to flinch…but I was afraid… and I…"

"Sh, it's alright. I'm here. I've got you my dear," Loki told me, wiping away tears that had rolled down my cheeks.

"I didn't want you to see me that way. I've always been protective of my heart but now… I love you Loki. I've known since the ball. I should've told you then but I wasn't sure how you felt but the more time I spent with you the deeper I fell in love with you and I…"

He kissed me, silencing my words, more tears falling from my eyes. He broke away kissing the top of my head, pulling me in closer; I snuggled against his chest, his magic making the leather suit he wore disappear leaving him in only silky pajama bottoms and replaced my dress with a more comfortable nightdress.

"I love you Clara. From the moment I met you but I couldn't be sure until this afternoon when you were on Earth away from my grasp. Thank you for telling me what happened. I'll do my best to protect you. I love you so much," he told me.

"I love you too, you're my _everything_," I told him. He got up to blow out the candles in his room, returning to bed holding me as we fell asleep. When word spread of my improved healing abilities, it would bring around a connection that would bind us together for a long time.


	8. Haunted Past

_"Sir, we've received word that Clara has been healing other gods and angels, even warriors," a demon named Andre informed his master._

_ "So, we've found her. Tell me where does our girl reside?" his master stated, his deep voice echoing in the room, a torture chamber to perform experiments in. Some died, some reborn with powers beyond their years. His current victim is a young girl with wispy white blonde hair, green eyes that could pierce anyone's soul. A petite thing – the term often used in his kingdom – who begged to be let go. The experiment is an ability to turn anything into gold, the goal – always to kill._

_ "They say she lives on Asgard at the present time. They say she's with a blonde-haired oaf who wields thunder and lightning. Her guardian angel doesn't visit often. A perfect opportunity to go grab her," Andre continued._

_ "Asgard huh? Interesting. A blonde oaf, you say. That must be Thor. Perhaps he's her weakness. Send Sean and Killian. Tell them to turn her to our side. If she refuses, torture her lover. Torture her if you have to. Just get her back. She belongs to us," the master demon commanded. A strangled scream is heard as the ability burns through the girl's veins, blood seeping from all her orifices. It didn't work, the experiment, liquid gold exploding next, the girl lying dead on the table; another disappointing failure._

_ "Yes, sir. I'll also send in the next subject. Perhaps he'll do much better than that thing," Andre stated. Things. They were all things, disposable, expendable things. But he wanted Clara, needed her to do his bidding, to be his queen._

_ "Good. At least there's those I can count on," the master commented, smiling; bright white fangs filled with nothing but malice._

Asgard

A few days after I told Loki about my past, we spent more time together in each other's rooms having sex or otherwise talking endlessly into the night. I also spent more time in the infirmary healing both minor and major wounds. Today was a quiet one but the weather had turned drastically different. Instead of the usual sunny and hot days that graced us most days, it was dark and stormy, putting me off a little.

It almost felt as if something terrible was about to take place. I was alone in the infirmary, finishing up healing my last warrior of the day, sending him on his way before cleaning off the blood from my hands and on the table where he had laid. Sighing, I decided to take a walk around the palace to clear my head, flinching when a clap of thunder sounded through the open windows as I passed by them. It hid the sound of footfalls behind me.

"Clara O'Neal. Wow…I didn't expect you to be so beautiful," a voice called out alerting me to the presence of another. I froze; the voice sent chills down my spine, the feeling of dread hitting me as I turned to face my visitor…or visitors as there were two people standing directly behind me.

"Do I know you?" I asked, trying not to let my fear show.

"No, but you will. Our master sent us. Says you're supposed to belong to us. Says you're to turn your head to where and _what _you're meant to be," the first who had spoken said. _No, it can't be. I thought they couldn't find me,_ I thought to myself, my breath hitching in my throat.

"Does your master have a name? Do you?" I asked, knowing full well who and what they were.

"Damien Colt. My name is Sean Anders and my partner is Killian Roberts. Now, would you be willing to come with us and do what you're meant to do?" Sean said, finally revealing the names of the cruel faces before me.

"No. I'd rather not go anywhere with you. I belong to no one. I think I'll have a guard escort-," I answered, cut off when the air was ripped from my lungs. I dropped to my knees, clutching my throat; coughing when the air returned.

"That's too bad. I thought we could have been civil about this, but it seems we'll have to do this the hard way. Say goodnight," Sean stated, frowning at my refusal.

"What?" I managed to ask before the air left me again. I gasped, falling on my side as Sean walked over and leaned over me. He hit me over the head and my world went black, more horror in store for me.

When I woke, I found I was shackled to a chair in a hidden part of the palace, the two demons in front of me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, struggling against my restraints.

"Because you are resisting what you are, what you can and should do. You're not meant to be healing gods and warriors. You're meant to take lives. It's what he put into you. Of course, you killed our former master but no matter, Damien still wants you," Killian replied.

"I chose my own destiny. They must have told you that. I don't want to be…" I argued, my breath taken by Killian who had flexed his hand. He relaxed it and I had a coughing spell as the oxygen reached my lungs again.

"So…you can…take oxygen away. That must've hurt. If Damien…wants me so bad…why did he send you two?" I wheezed.

"He's busy," Sean replied, walking over and placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Busy with what? Still experimenting are we? You do realize you're expendable right? He-,"

Electric currents ran their course through me at my yelp. I groaned in pain until he removed his hands. Breathing hard, spit came flying from my mouth, turning my attention to Sean.

"You're gifted with electric currents. How…many hours…did he play with you?" I asked, my chest aching, heaving up and down trying to get control again.

"Come on, Clara. Fight back. You know you can. Join us. Together we can wipe out the weak. We could rule the universe," he told me.

"Never. I refuse to hurt…"

I screamed as an invisible knife sliced through my skin. Killian again, another ability I hadn't anticipated. Blood welled up on my hand but not enough to inflict major damage.

"The more you refuse, the more we torture you. We can't kill you but we can hurt you really bad. We have our own healers to tend to you should you choose to come with us," Sean spoke, leaning back against the table.

"What…good would that do? I won't ever…join you. You'd kill me before I even…make it back. He'd be angry. He'll…"

Another scream left my throat, my head thrown back as electricity went through my body. Tears welled up in my eyes, pouring down my face. I wasn't afraid of dying; I had come close to it before. I was afraid I wouldn't see Loki again.

"Now, she cries. Now you're afraid. It could end. This torture. Just say you'll come with us. Access that darkness to accept your true destiny," Killian stated.

"I'm not afraid. I'm only mourning your deaths early," I commented, the lie coming easy to me. I had been spending a lot more time with Loki, our relationship still a secret except from his mother, who had figured it out on her own. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking me. That was a mistake, however, when another cut sliced my skin. I grunted this time the wound was on my shoulder. Shallow cuts to make the torture last longer. I was starting to sweat, the torture doing its job.

"Foolish girl. You think this brings us joy. You're his favorite-,"

"Of course it brings you joy. You…torture innocents…every day. Not to mention the ones…you experiment on," I interrupted. Sean leaned close to me, his hands on either side of the chair.

"You're right. It gives me joy to torture those not capable of joining the ranks. It does not give me joy to put you through this. Save me from having to do this. Say you'll turn to our side," he told me. I spat in his face, sending him back a few steps.

"Fuck…you," I ground out. This made him angry. He unshackled me, throwing my body to the floor. He sat on me and sent electric currents throughout my system. I screamed prompting Killian to take oxygen away. They both let go after a few seconds. I coughed, my whole body trembling. Sean lifted me up and punched me in the face with enough force to send my head to the side. I fell to my knees, breathing harder, my body screaming in pain.

"Fight back,"

"No!"

A swift kick to my stomach had me gasping for air, clutching it with my arms. A new cut appeared on my skin, a ribbon of scarlet dripping down my arm.

"Show us your darkness. Join us!"

"No!"

Another fresh cut, another scream from my throat, another flow of electricity sending me to the floor, writhing in pain. More tears rolled down my face, flashes of Loki and me in bed, of him saying he loved me in my head. Sweat gleamed off my skin, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath.

"Damn it Clara! Why won't you fight? Why won't you give into the power? It's delicious. It's fun having the life slipping from their weak forms," Sean stated.

"Because they don't deserve to die. I didn't want this power. I only wanted to heal. To…save lives. So, go ahead torture me. I will _never_ give in," I answered, pushing myself up, standing on wobbly legs. I was hit with all three abilities at once, falling face first into the cold floor, a blackness crawling over me.

"Wake up! We're not done with you!" Killian's voice yelled. He slapped me, my head careening to the left. I was back in the chair, shackled down again.

"Good. Now, feel this," Sean stated, sending more electric currents through me. I screamed, the fear returning. He released it; I was panting now.

"Will you join us?"

"No,"

"Again,"

The breath was stolen from my lungs as I gagged on nothing.

"Please…stop," I begged.

"Join us," Killian told me.

"No…I won't,"

Another few slices were delivered on my skin. Sweat, blood, and saliva hit the ground from my body.

"This is doing nothing. We're getting nowhere with her," Killian commented.

"Find her lover. Bring him here," Sean ordered.

"No! Don't hurt him," I begged, more tears escaping my eyes.

"Then, Clara, join us. No harm will come to him if you come with us," Sean informed me, a wicked smile on his lips. He toyed with the shackles, moving his fingers to my stomach. He trailed them up to my breasts, a huge mistake. I slammed my foot down, crushing one of his feet. He howled in pain, slapping me.

"Don't touch me. I'm not yours to play with," I snapped.

"Sean, look. I've got him. Now she'll have to join," Killian commented, dragging someone in the room.

"No, please! Don't hurt him, please!" I begged as they brought the person to a chair across from me. Only it wasn't Loki but Thor. They made a mistake with choosing Thor as my lover, but I didn't want him hurt either. "Clara, what's going on? Who are these people?" he spoke, anger in his voice.

"Your worst nightmare," Killian stated, slicing open the back of Thor's hand; he grunted in pain.

"Stop it! I…" Air was ripped away from me.

"You should have realized that we'd use someone you love against you. Your lover is going to pay for your refusals," Sean stated.

"Lover? I'm…" Thor almost protested but he caught my gaze. I shook my head, not wanting Loki involved, pretending that Thor was my lover for the moment. I could protect both, one from being pulled in and the other from pain.

They sent us both to the floor, sending electricity through us.

"I can call lightning. I'll kill them to save you," Thor commented.

"No, Thor. Don't…" I saw the look of concentration but it was only directed into me.

"Bad idea. You fight, and then she's tortured. Then you're punished," both demons stated, slicing into his skin again; he yelped.

"Thor, take my hands. Please, let me help you," I told him. I began absorbing anything he received taking on the pain they inflicted on me too.

"Clara…"

"I can't let you…get hurt. It's all right…someone will see you're…missing…and come…" I told him, hoping I was right.

Meanwhile…

_The angel Hannah burst through the palace doors of Asgard, sword in hand. Odin stood to his feet, anger flickering over his features._

_ "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to only visit…"_

_ "When there's trouble. Yeah, I know. Where's Clara? I just got word that she might be in danger," she told him._

_ "Danger? There's no danger here," Odin argued._

_ "There will be. Maybe there already is and you don't know about it. Apparently, our trip to treat an angel last week got someone's attention. There were insiders to a group of demons connected to Clara's past in that apartment,"_

_ "I don't see how-,"_

_ "The group of insiders sent word to Damien Colt, a former master of hers that she was healing here in Asgard. He sent two of his minions here to bring her back to him. Something about needing her to be his queen and to access the darkness she suppressed a long time ago,"_

_ "He even suggested to torture her if she refused. And torture her they will. They're possessed with abilities to make the pain excruciating,"_

_ "Why?" Odin asked, scratching his beard, still not believing Hannah._

_ "She was meant to take lives, not save them. She chose different. They tried to kill her once. They're only supposed to torture her but they'll go after someone she loves and torture them too,"_

_ "Which is why I asked you where she is? I've got to get her out of here," Hannah continued._

_ "She's usually in the infirmary this time of day. Hannah, I'm coming with you. I fear my sons are in danger," Frigga stated. The two women made their way to the infirmary, not finding Clara there. The next place they thought to look was her room, finding it empty as well._

_ "The library. Maybe she found Loki and they hid from the impending danger," Frigga stated, fear for him on her mind. They burst through, startling the God of Mischief._

_ "Oh, thank goodness. I was certain they'd go after you," Frigga told him._

_ "If they didn't go after him, then what about Thor? And if she's not here, then where is she?" Hannah asked, worrying about her best friend._

_ "What's going on?" Loki asked, closing his book and setting it aside._

_ "Clara's past is coming for her. Unless, they're already here," Hannah replied, the worry clearly etching itself in her features._

_ "Not the demons. Where is she?" Loki said, getting up, the same worry in his eyes._

_ "We don't know," Frigga told him. At that moment a guard entered, a grim expression on his face._

_ "My Queen. Thor is also missing," he informed her._

_ "Thor? Why would Thor be missing? What?" Loki asked._

_ "They must have thought that he's her lover. Which is why they didn't come after you," Frigga answered, clasping her hands over his._

_ "Scour this entire palace. Find them. Let me know when you do," Hannah ordered. Loki, Frigga, Hannah and a few guards searched high and low for the other prince and the healer. The three first mentioned were in a lower and much more hidden part of the palace when they heard a loud scream, the search over._

I screamed as another jolt of electricity went through me, my dress torn to shreds from all the cuts I took from both absorbing Thor's and my injuries.

"Why do you insist on protecting him?" Sean yelled.

"Because I love him. Because you…can't force me to join you," I snapped. I focused on staying conscious, not wanting any more damage to come Thor's way.

"Shut up!" Killian screamed, taking the air from me again. It lasted a second when the doors to the room burst open; Loki, Frigga, and Hannah ran in.

"Ah, the guardian angel, the brother, and the queen. Come to save your healer and prince," Sean hissed out.

"Get away from her!" Loki shouted, throwing a dagger at him; it lodged in Sean's throat, the demon dropping dead to the floor. Killian went to attack, slicing my skin to make me scream. Hannah ran up and thrust her sword into his gut, slicing up and cutting the final demon in half.

"Clara! Thor!" Frigga shouted, sprinting over to us. Thor pushed himself up, not much damage to him; I couldn't move, the pain overwhelming.

"Loki…Loki, are you hurt? They didn't get to you did they?" I asked, concern for him put first over my own body.

"No. Clara. I'm here. I'm right here. Look at me. I'm right here. I'm fine," he told me. He looked over to my back, tears welling up in his gorgeous green eyes.

"Clara…what did they do?" he whispered, his hands shaking as he analyzed the damage done from the demons, careful not to touch in case he caused me more pain.

"You're safe. That's what matters. You're…" I replied, no longer able to stay conscious.

"No, no, no. Clara! Stay awake," I heard Loki say before darkness descended.


	9. A Progression of Relationships

_The healer lies in the infirmary still unconscious from her wounds, the damage deep from where she protected the blonde prince instead of letting some be inflicted on him. The people of Asgard wait until she wakes, worry apparent on their faces. It's been at least a day since the attack, since Clara's past came back to plague her, to torture her. None, however, worry as much as the raven-haired prince, not like Loki does._

_The God paces his room wondering how to visit his love. They wanted the secret relationship to remain secret. He settles on disguising himself as a guard and ventures down to her. The disguise isn't necessary. There's no one to see, no one to listen in the infirmary. He reveals himself at this, sitting by her bed, holding her hand. He's always been good at sneaking around but he grows weary of pretending to be someone else just to see here. He loves Clara clear as day but he knows...no fears...what Odin would think. A God in love with a mortal. He wouldn't approve despite the love they share. 'Their lives are so short,' he'd say. 'Fleeting and gone in a blink of an eye,'_

_Loki doesn't care. His heart is full now that he has her. His life complete. Someone watches him with Clara in the shadows of the room. His mother, the one that saw through all the secrets. She watches her son as he sits with their healer, looks on as he bows his head and sheds tears for his beloved._

_"Please wake up. Clara, please. I need you," the sorrowful words fall from his lips. He doesn't notice his mother's movements as she walks towards them._

_"Loki, she'll be all right. Give it time. Our healers are doing all they can. The wounds were deep but they say she's healing well," Frigga tells him. She startled him but he doesn't pull up a disguise. She's known about their relationship for a while. Thor only found out the night he and Clara were tortured. Both his brother and his mother approve of it. They're glad he's found someone he could bring himself to care for. Loki's eyes are red, his cheeks stained with tears._

_"I can't lose her. She means too much to me. Why couldn't we have found them sooner? Stopped them before they could have hurt her?" Loki asks, anger and sadness mixing in his voice._

_"We couldn't have know they were here until it was too late. Neither she or Hannah knew there was an insider among that apartment. They acted quickly to get to her. Nothing we could have done to stop them," Frigga tells him, laying a hand on his shoulder._

_"But I..."_

_"Someone comes. Loki, disguise yourself," Frigga warns. Using his magic, Loki pulls up the guard disguise, hiding in plain sight as both warrior brothers Erik and Josef come to spend a little time with the girl who changed their lives in an astounding way. Loki and Frigga exit the room and venture to Loki's chambers, the disguise disappearing._

_"Try and be more careful. If someone had seen..."_

_"I'm tired of hiding. I love her and I don't care who knows. I'm in a constant state of worry. What if she never wakes? I wouldn't know how to cope with her death," Loki snaps, earning one of his mother's scrutinizing looks._

_"I apologize. I'm only tired. I do mean what I say. I don't want to keep hiding our relationship. I desire to marry her and the moment she wakes, I plan to ask her outright if she would take me as her husband," Loki states, a look of determination on his features._

_"Do as it pleases you then. Stop with your disguises. Visit her as yourself. She will wake Loki. She's strong enough to survive this. She has survived them once before, only this time, she has more to live for. She has _you_ to live for," Frigga reassures him. Loki nods before entering his room, the absence of Clara beside him weighing heavy on his mind._

_The next few days are tiring. Whenever Loki visits Clara, he no longer hides, sitting bu her side and holding her hand. He no longer cares who sees, who knows. He only wants to be near her as her body heals; a few scars have now embedded in her skin from the deeper wounds. He winces at some of them as the bandages are re-wrapped in different salves that would prove wonderful in healing the injuries; the scars don't bother him as he loves her no matter what she looks like._

_On the fourth day, Clara's friend Hannah visits, eyeing Loki suspiciously, not fully trusting him, even though he helped in defeating the ones who tortured her. She thinks he still wants to do Clara ill will. This is not the case. He truly loves Clara, even from the moment she first entered his life._

_"She hasn't woke yet. The healers say she is close to it though," he tells Hannah, his glistening green eyes never leaving Clara's face. He watches as she breathes, as she sleeps, the beauty of her face peaceful. Hannah and Loki don't speak to each other, the only thing the angel gives him is a nod, acknowledging his statement. She's sitting on the other side, her hand grasping Clara's, a silent prayer in her mind._

_The only thought that runs through Loki's min is that he wants Clara as his bride. The next day would give him the chance to ask her the very question._

_The next day Clara stirs but there is no one to greet her as he eyes crack open. Hannah has returned to her apartment and Loki - because he's so exhausted - has fallen asleep in his room, book in hand now splayed on his chest. Odin and Frigga are asleep also, holding each other close. Thor is with the Warrior Three and Lady Sif having a drink. Clara is alone. The thought that first crosses her mind is she needs to see her beloved prince, her Loki._

_"Miss Clara. Thank goodness, you're awake. Wait a moment. Before you go anywhere, you must drink some water and we need to check your bandages," one of the healers tells her. As much as it slows her down from seeing Loki, she complies with their orders. As soon as she is cleared, she bolts from the room and searches for him, a surprise waiting for her when she approaches his chambers. Little does she know that a ring with a golden band and green gemstones awaits to be placed upon her finger._

Clara's POV

I knock on the door of Loki's chambers before trying the handle when no one answers. I find it unlocked and the sight before me nearly stops my heart. Loki is sound asleep, book on his chest, his bare chest. Silent as a mouse, I make my way over to him and sit down upon the soft sheets, close enough to let my fingertips graze his cheek.

"Mm. Clara, that feels wonderful. Don't stop," he mumbles in his sleep.

"Loki, wake up. Open your eyes," I say brushing my fingertips across his cheek again. Slowly, he opens his green eyes meeting my gaze.

"You're always here in my dreams. I do wish you'd awaken. I need you," he states.

"Loki, this isn't a dream. I'm here. Right now, I'm here with you,"

Reality hits him, a surprise but grateful expression spreads across his features, his hands grasping my face and pulling me into a deep kiss.

"Oh, Clara. How I've missed you. I worried you might've never recovered. But you're here with me now,"

"I'm here. I'm sorry if I scared you. I never intended for the assault to happen. I didn't know there were insiders," I told him, crawling on top of him.

"Wait, Clara. Please wait. They know about us. Our relationship. Everyone knows. I couldn't disguise myself for long. I-,"

"Sh. I don't care. Let them see. I want you. Only you," I interrupted him, kissing him, my tongue penetrating his mouth. I enveloped him in my arms, his hands ripping off the slip I wore, leaving me in only underwear. Our tongues fought for dominance, his hand exploring all over, the fiery passion filling the room. I moved my lips to his neck, eliciting a soft moan from him. I trailed more kisses to his chest, my hands swiftly removing his pants and underwear, freeing all of him. I lifted my body to take off my own before lowering myself, sheathing his length inside me, both of us moaning with my movements. Soft moans escaped from our lips, Loki guiding my hips as I rocked back and forth, my wetness coating him.

"Clara, I'm close,"

"Me too. Loki, you feel so good,"

We climaxed at the same time, still moving to ride it out, both of us breathing hard. We shared a few kisses while he stayed inside of me before I got off of him.

"Stay here. I've got something for you," he told me, sliding off the bed to retrieve something from the bookshelves lining his walls. I shifted under his soft sheets, not intending to leave anytime soon. He joined me back on the bed, sitting in front of me, a timid smile on his lips.

"Loki? What's -,"

"I've been thinking about this over the past few days. The assault really put things in perspective for me and now I can't go on without you in my life. I love you and I refuse to be parted from you. Clara Jean O'Neal, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Loki proposed, bringing tears of joy to my eyes. I didn't hesitate with my answer as he opened the box containing a ring that definitely would let everyone know I belonged to him.

"Yes, I will marry you," I accepted. His smile beamed bright as he pulled the ring out and slipped it on my finger, his mouth on mine sealing our forever love. The events that followed would put that same love to the test leading to more catastrophic events.


	10. A Wedding and A Catastrophe

_How did I end up here? What went wrong?_ I thought, as I pulled myself up from the asphalt. The light around me vanished, a sadness growing within me. Things which occurred earlier went from bad to worse, an escalation no one had seen coming.

A battle played out in my mind, a truth I'd been willing to accept but Odin got to me first. An argument erupted and then a push, a force shoved back. Back to Earth. The noise and lights of the billboards around me told me New York. No way to get back to Asgard even if I had Heimdall's help.

'You never belonged here. You're mortal, useless to you last breath,' Words echoed though my memory, tears stinging my eyes, blurring my vision as I walked down the road. _Loki. What will he think? What will Odin tell him? _I thought. Distracted, I didn't see the car encroaching fast towards me.

"Look out!" a male voice yelled. My head snapped to the side, then a collision against my body. Whoever or whatever tackled me tumbled with me to the sidewalk, out of harm's way. No deaths today. I sat up, pushing tears from my eyes as I searched for my savior.

"Are you alright?" the voice asked. A man – dark eyes, dark hair, a beard that anyone would recognize given his infamous reputation – sat in front of me. Tony Stark, my savior, reached out a hand to help me to my feet. I brushed off the dirt, the gravel, an answer on the tip of my tongue.

"No, I don't think I am," I looked to the sky, memories of days past coming to mind.

One Month Earlier

One thing's for certain. When Asgardians plan a wedding, they get it rolling within a day or two. Frigga's entourage helped customize a dress for the very day, an off-white color; green and gold beadings embellished in the satin fabric, a touch for the Prince. My prince, my Loki. Decorations were thrown up in the Great Reception Hall, rings forged to represent Loki and me, our relationship and marriage unique to everyone. I have to say Odin wasn't too pleased to learn of our news but gave the blessing for us to marry, much to my surprise and to my delight.

A feast needed to be prepared for after the wedding, a cake to cut and vows to write. I needed to be kept hidden from my groom until the day of our wedding, traditional to every point. A honeymoon also needed to be planned, Loki and I leaving as soon as the feast ended, to spend an entire month together. Everything began to come together, guests arriving and taking their seats. This might've been a sign something could go wrong; A catastrophe brewing under our noses. I guess we should've seen it coming but we were all too happy, blind to a potential threat and a truth kept until everything spilled out.

I sat in my room while Frigga's entourage arranged my hair and applied makeup, setting everything in place for me to walk down the aisle. A knock at the door paused one of the actions, one handmaiden opening the door to let Hannah and Frigga to enter the room.

"You look gorgeous. Loki's going to be in awe when he sees you," Frigga greeted me.

"It's a magical night. I can't help the excitement and joy running through my veins," I told her.

"If you want to run, we can just teleport out here," Hannah stated, receiving a glare from me.

"Kidding. I know you love him. At least you found the one you're meant to be with," she commented, holding her hands up in surrender.

"You've been a big change for him. He's a lot more cheerful since you walked into his life. I'm glad to be able to call you daughter," Frigga stated, walking over to place her hands on my shoulders. Tears sprang to my eyes and I tried to blink them away.

"Don't make me cry. I'll ruin my makeup before I even get out there," I sniffed. Frigga smiled, rubbing my shoulders. Leaning down, she whispered something in my ear.

"I'm sure he'll take you either way," she stepped back to let the handmaidens add the finishing touches. Next the dress, a long sleeve, princess dress with a train which extended about two feet. The veil attached to a tiara that gleamed with gold and dark green. Loki's signature colors were a part of me and soon we'd be united together in every way.

"It's time," Frigga said, opening the door. Hannah linked her arm through mine as we walked to the reception hall on the way to the altar. The warriors waited for the music announcing my arrival to begin before opening the large wooden doors. I gasped seeing Loki standing at the end of the hall, his traditional suit making him stand out among the Asgardian people.

Hannah walked me slow to the altar; I watched as Loki's head turned in my direction, mouth parted open in a gasp of his own. The closer I approached him, the more excited I grew; I couldn't wait to become his wife. The question of who gave me away to him sounded muffled, my focus reserved for Loki. My hands latched onto Loki's as we stood in front of each other, wide smiles on our lips. The ceremony began, traditional words spoken until we got to the vows.

"Clara, I never knew how much a person could mean to me until you walked into my life. The first time we met, I hadn't expected such kindness from another woman apart from my mother. With you around, I'm a lot calmer, maybe less mischievous. I'm grateful to be able to call you my wife. I could never have asked for a better partner. I love you with all my heart. Today I give it to you to cherish it always," Loki said, his vows making tears roll down my face.

"Loki, I felt alone until I met. Yes, I had Hannah, but I've never experienced a love or friendship as bright as yours. My heart became complete the moment you appeared in my life. You're my entire world, my entire heart. I wish to cherish you forever. I may be a healer, but you've managed to heal in all sorts of ways. I love you with every fiber of my being. I'll be proud to call you my husband," I said. His smile grew wider. Rings were exchanged, the cool metal bands resting on our fingers.

"Do you Loki, take Clara to be your wife? Will you love her until the day you die? Will you cherish her always through sickness and health?" the priest asked.

"I do," the priest repeated the same questions to me.

"I do," I responded.

"By all Asgardian powers, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest commanded. Loki pressed his lips to mine, sealing our love and our marriage. A power surge swept over the room whether it be our doing or not. Cheers and applause echoed through the room, breaking our kiss and turning to our guests, we held our hands up in the air in celebration. We walked down the aisle hand in hand to the dining hall to begin the feast, earning congratulatory greetings from everyone. A few toasts were given, the cake cut and soon the time came for our departure, our month away from our family beginning.

Midgard (Earth) – Florida

"Florida? Orlando, for our honeymoon? Not that I'm complaining, but don't you have some magical realm where you live?" I questioned, earning a laugh from Loki.

"We do, but I thought a month spent at the beach would be a lot more fun. Not to mention going to all the theme parks here. Those might be the most fun we could have all month," he responded, taking my arm and pulling me into his lap on the bed. I turned sideways to capture his lips in a kiss.

"Technically, the closest beach is two hours away. As for the amusement parks, it might be fun to get out of the hotel room for a while. Although, I imagine what we could do in here will be a lot more entertaining," I told him. I kissed him again, more passion behind it, allowing him to get my hint. When I pulled back, his green eyes had darkened with lust, my hint taken.

"The things you do to me woman," he responded, pulling down the sleeves of my dress and pushing the fabric down to expose my breasts to the cool air-conditioned room. His thumbs ghosted over my nipples, the sensitive nubs perking up at his touch. I moaned, gripping him tight, bringing him back down for more. Loki shoved down the remaining fabric of the dress, tossing it to the floor, my naked body sitting in his lap. He magicked away his suit, also sitting naked, his erection pressing against my ass. I gasped, needing him, my lust growing darker by the second. His fingers pulled on my nipples, pinching them; his hands massaging my breasts every so often. Heat and wetness pooled below, a whimper escaping my throat wishing he'd fuck me already.

His tongue slipped inside my mouth, tangling with mine, the fight for dominance ending when he overtook me. His hands traveled south, stroking my folds, teasing me before inserting one finger, adding another, my slickness coating them. I moaned, one hand taking hold of his cock, eliciting a groan from his lips. He moved me to lie flat against the bedspread, kissing me, playing with me, his fingers picking up tempo, slowing down when he thought I was close to coming. My hips bucked against his hand until at last, he let me come around them. He left a trail of kisses down my chest, stopping to swirl his mouth around my breasts, nipping at the nipples, causing more moans to escape my throat. My back arched into him, my hands tangling in his hair, tugging, an action which made him groan and grunt.

He moved down to my core, spreading my legs as wide as they could, his tongue lapping at my folds.

"Loki, please," I begged, clenching the sheets when I removed my hands from his hair.

"That's it. Beg for me, my love," he told me, before beginning his feast of me, his tongue darting in and out of my body. I squirmed, his hands holding me in place to send me over the edge again. Loki came back up and kissed me, readying himself to enter me.

"I believe it's time we consummate this marriage," he whispered and thrust into my body, a loud moan reverberating around the room. We made love slow and sweet, lasting for a couple of hours and ending off cuddling in each other's arms. We were walking on clouds, believing nothing would come between us. Clouds became thin, however, letting rain pour through their thickness. We couldn't be more wrong about our beliefs or what could cause damage to our love.

The month flew by quicker than we realized, most of the time spent at the beach; Clearwater to be exact, or in the room in each other's embrace. We did venture out to the amusement parks for a few days, but we were content to spend time away from crowds of people. We learned new ways to pleasure each other, new ideas to play around with and sometimes we were a little rough in our sexual endeavors. At least we remained joyous, content with our marriage. We had no choice but to return to Asgard; Thor's coronation a priority to be present for. I knew it hurt Loki a little seeing his brother getting the throne, Thor still being the golden boy of the Asgard realm. It didn't mean he didn't support him though, or so I thought, a plan held in place before I appeared in his life.

The day we got back to Asgard, things began to turn sour. We attended the coronation like we planned, and it started off wonderful; until it got interrupted by an attack from the Jotuns, Frost Giants, and ruined everything. The following day Thor made a stupid decision to confront them and a warrior came back injured, leading me to heal him. Something appeared different in Loki, he looked shell-shocked, as if something happened to him in Jotunheim he didn't expect. I excused myself to talk with him, hoping I could provide him comfort.

"Loki, are you alright? What's wrong? Are you injured?" I asked, inspecting him for damage.

"No, not injured. I…come with me," he answered, pulling me to a vault where Odin kept relics and artifacts from previous battles. He approached an oblong one with handles attached to it; the Casket of Winters, something I had been told about after the coronation, something the Jotuns had been after.

"Don't touch…Loki, what…" I told him, stunned when he turned around, his skin blue with markings like…like the Frost Giants.

"You're…oh my," I said, speechless as I walked towards him. I reached out to touch his face, tracing over the markings. He flinched at first, not expecting to be caressed with so soft a touch as mine. Realizing, I showed no fear, tension released within him, his eyes – blood red eyes – opened to glance at me. I met his gaze, held it hoping he'd feel the burning love I still held for him despite finding out this truth.

"Clara! May I have a word with you?" Odin's gravel voice boomed inside the vault. I dropped my hand slow and kissed Loki before turning to face my father-in-law. I nodded and followed him out.

"You're not afraid of him. You accept Loki for what he is," he stated. No questions, statements, confirming what he knew.

"I do. Why would you think…? You've never told him the truth. Why on earth would you withhold that information? What's the point? He…you had a purpose for taking him. Why…?"

"What business of it is yours to know?"

"He's my husband! I love him. I don't care who he is or what he is. I will accept him no matter what,"

"You're mortal, useless to your last breath. You never belonged here. Married to Loki or not, you're not one of us. You never will be. It's time you returned to where you belong. I've banished Thor. I can do the same to you," Odin spat, shocking me. All this time I thought he'd moved on, accepted me. He gave the blessing for us to marry. _How could I have been so stupid? He never accepted you. He despises humans, mortals. He thinks they mean nothing, _I thought. Realization at his outburst hit as soon as he said 'I banished Thor. I can do the same to you,' Too little, too late, I guess as he raised his hand.

"Wait…"

"You'll _never_ see you _precious_ Loki again. Goodbye Clara," he said. A push, a force shoved me back and I tumbled through the vortex, landing in a heap against asphalt.

New York – 2011

My banishment to New York began a chain of events that led up to a bigger bad, a bigger enemy no one expected. Tony Stark saved my life the day of it, earning a few cuts acquired by our tumble to the sidewalk. Impressed by my ability to heal, he hired me to work alongside his girlfriend Pepper and him. I wouldn't hear any news of what happened in New Mexico until Thor's arrival the following year. My love, Loki, would be different the next time I saw him, the truth revealed to him in the worst way possible. Something Odin said to him would leak out during a confrontation, his mind warped by brainwash and torture to make those words stay in his head.

A mysterious woman would show up during a huge battle and pull a long-standing darkness instilled him but not before people were convinced, I'd be in league with Loki's plans to rule the Earth. They would think I'd break out the man, the Frost Giant, the Asgardian, I loved and called my husband; They wouldn't know him as I knew him. I'd meet new friends once my name had been cleared. I'd heal the wounded and a new chapter would begin in my life.


	11. Big Trouble and Mysterious Strangers

_ A God tortured, brainwashed; Loki sent off to rule Earth, Midgard as he would've called it. A girl – a healer – his wife caught up in the trouble. Six heroes brought together because of it. The appearance of an infinity stone, two upon further investigation. A mysterious girl with powers people might call dangerous; used for good, something she promised herself when it came to her aid. She'd become a great ally and she'd find her soulmate in a coffee shop when he'd be having hard times. _

_ A confrontation that turned out to be heartbreaking, a clarity brought forth at the end of the huge battle. A new family formed, though they wouldn't know it yet. An unexpected connection and new friends, who strived for greater and extraordinary accomplishments._

_You all know this story. From the moment a team of scientists discovered the Tesseract, they desired to use it for all the wrong reasons; a last resort Fury hoped wouldn't come to pass. Don't they ever learn? Repeating history with dangerous weapons never ends well. Everything was going okay for the most part. No accidents or anomalies…yet. They were intrigued and who wouldn't be? It wasn't as if they encountered anything like it before and they jumped at the chance to see what all the Tesseract could provide them._

_ The studies, the tests; they weren't prepared for what it would bring. Or who. As they were performing more and more tests, it started behaving…yes behaving…somehow activated by what…or whom? The Hawk had been watching, studying from his nest in the rafters, learning all he could from a distance. Fury was called in to look in on the situation and Dr. Erik Selvig had been experimenting trying to figure out everything he could about the cube. They couldn't know, wouldn't know, until the last minute; when everything would start crashing down._

_ "The cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? The door opens from both sides," the man named Clint Barton commented, after a worrying conversation between Director Nick Fury and Selvig about the cube. As soon as Clint stopped speaking, the Tesseract opened her door into the empty space before her._

_ It closed and there knelt a man – a God – sweating from his forehead as if he were ill. He held a scepter in his hands – a hidden infinity stone as its power. When requested to put down the weapon, he instead fired on his victims, killing those who fired upon him. He was quick and deadly, acting on orders from his "superiors". Damage done, he proceeded to introduce himself as Loki, Dr. Selvig recognizing the name._

_ "Brother of Thor, Clara O'Neal's husband," the doctor stated, inciting annoyance within him…and to the true part of himself; heartbreak. Needing help with his purpose, Loki took it upon himself to mind control several of the scientists, enslaving them to the work. Selvig and Barton were among these enslaved. Loki killed more on his escape from one of SHIELD's headquarters, already planning something bigger than we had ever hoped to imagine._

Clara's POV

Ever since I had been banished from Asgard - from Loki, from everything I had experienced – I had started working with Tony Stark. You'd know him from name alone. The billionaire – who up until he had been captured a couple of years ago – had made weapons. Now he was trying to do something good; something extraordinary, for everyone. To the outside world, he appeared selfish, only caring for himself. To me, he was brilliant and one of the sweetest people I'd ever met; Hannah and Loki had been the first two.

I never understood why guys did that; hid their true self from everyone who wasn't close to them. It took one person or in this case a couple of people to bring out the other side; who cracked the exterior and pulled out the hidden depth to their character. Loki had me. Tony had Pepper Potts. They both enjoyed my company, even though I couldn't heal them. I wasn't sure why they kept me around; I imagined Pepper needed someone to talk to when Tony was away at press conferences and events.

They didn't ask questions about my past. I knew they were curious, but figured I'd talk about it eventually. I was quiet for weeks; I mourned Loki, thinking he was killed somehow – a punishment for marrying me or for what he was. A Frost Giant, the man I loved. I'd changed after those few weeks, attempting to move on with my life. I needed someone to vent to and Hannah had been busy with her angelic duties. I'd been alone and to be honest…afraid.

So, I had entered the living room of Stark Tower one day, where Tony and Pepper sat having a conversation.

'Clara? Everything okay?' Tony had asked. Something inside broke and out came the flood; of words, of tears. Everything I kept bottled up, spilled out of me like a river exploding from a failing dam. At the end, they had embraced me, a comfort I hadn't had in a while. Things were comfortable, happy.

Tonight, was no different or so I thought. We were celebrating a huge accomplishment of Tony's. Well, mainly it had been a collaboration with Pepper.

"12%? 12% of my baby?" she asked, to which he responded with the people in the elevator being sweaty installing security measures. They shared a kiss and I smiled, pouring three glasses of champagne.

"You two are cute. Maybe you should think about getting married," I said handing them their flutes, before picking up mine.

"Marriage? I don't think we're there yet. Cheers," Tony said, clinking his glass with Pepper's and mine. I took a sip and excused myself to venture over to a large window, peering out across the city. I closed my eyes, saying a silent prayer to my beloved. My Loki. The sound of Tony clearing his throat made my lips twinge in a smile.

"I'm leaving. Don't worry. You'll have Miss Potts all to yourself, I promise," I said, turning to them.

"Good. I-," he began to say, interrupted by a phone call. The person was a man by the name of Agent Coulson and there appeared to be something important to discuss. Something Tony tried to ignore, but the elevators opened, revealing an older man in a suit.

"Phil, nice to see you again," Pepper said, a cheerfulness to her voice.

"Phil? His first name is agent," Tony commented.

"We need you to come in," he said. A mini argument took place and I took it as my clue to leave.

"Clara, please stay. You can help with the homework. I remember you saying something about the cube a while back," Tony said. At my name, I noticed the agent had tensed up.

"Your last name isn't O'Neal is it?" he asked. I noticed his hands slide to his gun on his hip.

"It is. Something the matter agent?"

"I'm going to need you to come with me. You're under arrest," he stated, aiming it at me. The room went deadly silent. Color me shocked.

"What? Whatever for? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" I asked.

"Not yet. What is Loki's plan? What does your husband want with the Tesseract?" Chills slid down my spine at Loki's name.

"Loki? I think you're mistaken. My husband is dead," I said, my voice low.

"He's not dead. You're not fooling anyone with the grieving act. Come with me now. Your husband has killed 80 people to retrieve the cube," Agent Coulson informed me. My mouth went dry. _No, that…that wasn't possible,_ I thought.

"Phil, what are you doing? She works with us. She's a healer. She's been here the entire time," Pepper told him, holding on to Tony's arm. I couldn't bear to look at them, to see the shock on their features.

"Is that what she told you? She could be lying. She could be in on his plan. Clara is married to the God of Mischief and Lies. She could have picked up on his tricks,"

"She revealed her past to us. I don't think she would lie to us. Don't-," Tony said.

"I'll come with you. It's okay, Tony…Pepper. I'll go with him. I'll find a way to clear my name," I interrupted. I put down my glass and walked over the agent. He cuffed me and led me out of the building. We got into a car and rode to a helicarrier, where they placed me in a holding cell, while they worked out details of what my husband was planning.

_Oh, Loki, my love. What have you done?_

I sat in the cell for hours while the agents tried figuring out where Loki had gone off to. I held my head in my hands as I processed the information I was told. _Loki is alive,_ I thought. It came as a shock and I wondered why I hadn't received any notice until now. About an hour later, I received a visit from Director Fury, who had tried to get information from me. I gave the same story; I didn't know of any plan, I thought Loki was dead this entire time. He left; a red headed woman replaced him.

I think she was told to try and trick me into revealing hidden details. It didn't work. I gave her the same story. Three more hours and then _he _arrived. Loki. I watched as his eyes met mine – a malicious smile on his face, sending shivers through me – watched as they put him in the cell across from me. Just by watching, I could tell something was off about him, something different about him. Fury gave me a curious glance and explained how it was going to go for Loki, before walking away. A few minutes passed before the shouting started.

"What do you mean she's locked up? Release her. That's my sister-in-law!" A booming voice echoed through the room.

"Thor, she's married to him. They could have planned-," a woman's voice said.

"She's not involved. She was sent back to Earth unwillingly. She's probably thought he's been dead this entire time. Let. Her. Out. NOW!" Thor shouted. Footsteps sounded and a sigh escaped an agent's lips before he let me out.

"Come upstairs. Thor wants to see you," he said. I nodded and – with a final glance at Loki – joined the others upstairs.

"Clara! You're okay. As soon as I heard you were held in a cell, I knew I needed to get you out," Thor greeted me. He pulled me in a bear hug, lifting me off the floor. I squeezed him tight and when he put me down, I turned to spot Tony standing behind us. I walked briskly over to him, embracing him as well.

"You okay? I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I helped to bring him back here," he told me, his hands cupping my face. When we pulled back, I nodded as I met his eyes.

"Hey. Healer girl. You're married to him, right?" a familiar voice said. I turned to meet the green eyes of the red head from earlier.

"Yes, but I-,"

"Come with me. I have an idea. I'm Natasha Romanoff by the way," she said. I sighed and followed her back to where Loki was held.

"I'm going to let you in to talk to him. Maybe he'll open up to you more," she told me. I took a deep breath as the door to his cell slid open. I stepped inside and waited as he turned to face me. The door slid closed and then he spoke.

"Hello, Clara," he said.

"Loki. What happened?"

"Well, my dear, why should I tell you? It's not as if you care," he stated. The way he said it shocked me. It was cold, cruel.

"I do care. I care about you. I love you," He laughed menacingly, his head thrown back.

"Lies. Do you not remember I am the God of Lies? I can see straight through them. You never loved me. It's why you left. You couldn't bear it. To see me as I truly am. What I truly am?" he snapped.

"What are you talking about? I love you, Loki. I never stopped. Even after discovering that you are a Frost Giant. I didn't leave. I was-,"

"ENOUGH! No more lies! No more, Clara. You should find someone else. End our marriage. I don't care if you marry Thor. I don't love you. Not anymore. Why don't you go whore around with others?" I flinched at his words. My anger flared and before I knew what I was doing, my arm flew forward. A loud slap echoed through the cell. His head whipped to the right.

"Now who's lying? You. This isn't you, Loki. What's happened to you? I refuse to believe this person before me. You want to end our marriage? Too bad. You're stuck with me," For a moment, he stared at me. Green eyes, instead of…blue. _Wait, he had blue eyes. Before I slapped him, _I thought.

"Clara, I…Leave. Get out. Hurry. Before…" He moved in a blink of an eye. He pushed my body back against the glass. I winced at the pain. His hands were on either side of my head as he glared at me.

"Is _that_ what you think? You're wrong. I. Don't. Love. You. But perhaps, I can use you. That pretty body of yours. Those lips," he grasped my jaw. Hard. The free hand skimmed down my side and then he slammed his lips against mine. I shoved him back, anger shifting through me.

"You taste as delicious as you look," Loki stated, his voice low. Blue eyes, this time.

"Loki, enough. Clara, come back out. I'll talk to him. Alone," Natasha said. The door slid open and I walked out, gliding past her. As soon as I was out of sight from Loki, I asked an agent where a bathroom was. Locking myself in a stall, I heaved, clutching the toilet as I did so. I didn't want to cry and promptly cleaned up before finding a familiar face to talk to. I found myself in a lab where Tony was working with another man.

"Clara, are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Fine,"

"Alright. This is Dr. Bruce Banner. He's helping us find the Tesseract," I nodded and lost focus as I thought about my conversation with Loki. For a moment, he'd been himself. The Loki I met and fell in love with. Then… _Was he trying to warn me about something?_

"Ma'am? You sure you're okay? That conversation looked rough," another man stated, entering the lab.

"I'm fine. Mr.?"

"Steve Rogers,"

"Ah, Captain America. Pleasure to meet you," I said, losing focus once more. I barely registered more people coming, the argument taking place. That was until an explosion and landing near Tony and Steve.

_ An attack happened on the helicarrier. Clint – who had been controlled by Loki – set off the explosion and caused chaos. Our healer Clara couldn't help much, her powers limited to immortals only. Which meant she couldn't help Agent Coulson. She did try to help anyway, Loki finding her later and wrenching her away to Stark Tower. The others were split up, hell bent on avenging the world. Tony arrived a few minutes later and threatened Loki and then the real battle began. Clara, managing to get outside, helped get innocents to safety._

_ The more she saved, the more a tingly sensation spread through her hands. It wasn't until she touched a wounded woman and her son that her healing expanded and took away their injuries. It was a long battle and she continued to heal, dragged away by Thor, who sent her back to Loki. Bruce had transformed and had took his anger out on him before she got there; Clara helped with some of the damage._

_ While taking care of him, they were interrupted by some sort of presence. Shadows and darkness enveloped them before dispersing and revealing another woman. A mysterious stranger. She had teal eyes that sparkled like diamonds, long dark brown hair that stopped at her waist. Loki and Clara tensed, but she only smiled. She had plans of her own._

Clara's POV

"Hello, trickster. Goodbye darkness," this new woman said. She curled her hand outwards as though they were claws, lifting Loki off the ground, the tip of his boots scraping the floor. I gasped and went to tackle her to the ground. She whipped out her other hand and secured in place with tendrils of shadows, coiling around me like a snake. I struggled and watched as she beckoned darkness out of Loki's body. It spilled out in curls, building up as a shield in front of her. The last came out and Loki fell to the floor.

She released me and I went to Loki's aid, hearing a shattering sound behind me. I turned and saw that the stranger had struck the shield with a sword of black shadows.

"Clara? What happened? Are you hurt? I…did something terrible didn't I? You left me. Father said so, though he's not my father," Loki's voice brought my attention back to him. No more blue colored his irises. They were back to his normal green eyes. My hand came up to cup his cheek.

"I didn't leave you. I was banished, sent away. I thought you died," I shifted my hand to run it through his hair and he took it in his own.

"But…"

"I wouldn't leave you. I love you. I don't care if you're a Frost Giant. You're my Loki," I told him. Tears filled his eyes as he sat up to kiss me.

"As sweet as this is, I should really introduce myself. My name is Lucy Sebastian. I helped during the battle. Too much darkness and the source came from him. I took most of it from him and destroyed. But listen, he's been through a lot and you'll need to take care of him for a little while," the new girl stated. Then she was gone, shadows and all. We won. This time. Thor decided Loki was to report to Odin, which I wasn't too happy about. Thor insisted I come back to Asgard because I belonged there; Screw Odin's banishment.

More adventures awaited us and would lead to more grief, igniting something dark within my soul; in years to come.


End file.
